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Residents and business owners urge Pasco council to enforce social media rules, seek accountability for Councilman Parales
Summary
Multiple residents and business owners used public comment to allege Councilman Parales has used city‑branded channels to amplify unverified claims and post private information, urging stricter social‑media policies and removal from outside committees; supporters of Parales invoked First Amendment protections.
A series of residents and local business owners urged the Pasco City Council on Monday to tighten social‑media rules for elected officials and to hold Councilman Leo Parales accountable for conduct they said harms individuals and the community.
"The integrity of this body is being eroded by persistent behavior by Councilman Parales that falls well below the standard we expect," said Brian Verhigh, who identified himself as a District 3 resident. Verhigh alleged repeated use of the councilman title and city‑branded platforms to amplify hearsay, post private homes and target private citizens, and asked the council to "strengthen and enforce social media practices and explicitly limit the use of the councilman title on personal accounts used to target private citizens."
Business owner Marcy Torres told the council she has gathered "story after story" about Parales' behavior and said harassment of small businesses "is not okay," urging the council to seek a public apology and other accountability measures. "We expect better from our elected officials," she said.
Other speakers described intimidation and emotional harm tied to public postings. Vanessa Leon, a District 3 resident, said young people feel small and scared to speak up when elected officials amplify allegations on social media. A resident who identified herself as Miss Wade described personal history with suicide attempts and said public amplification of unverified stories causes real harm to vulnerable people.
Not all public comment supported sanctions. An online speaker identified as Miss Hatch defended Parales and invoked the First Amendment, saying, "Councilman Parales does not lose his First Amendment rights to post things on his social media pages just because he's on the city council," and urging that complaints be backed by evidence rather than hearsay.
Council members did not take immediate corrective action during the meeting. Several commenters asked the council to consider removing Parales from outside committees; Verhigh specifically recommended removal from outside committees and stronger enforcement of social media policy. Mayor Charles Grimm and other council members acknowledged the comments and the process for filing complaints, but no formal referral or disciplinary motion was made on the record that night.
The public comment period drew sustained attention: several residents requested follow‑up from staff and said they would file formal complaints where applicable. The council proceeded to the night's public hearings and agenda items after the comment period closed.
