Thinking Regional

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Story Published: Jun 30, 2009 at 5:39 PM PST

By Molly Kelleher

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TRI-CITIES -- The latest population count puts us on the top of the list again. Franklin County leads the state and Benton County got a big bump, too. But are we capitalizing on our numbers?

The way Ross Thoelke talks about his hometown, says a lot about our area.

"It seems like I get more people saying 'I know where Tri-Cities' is at instead of Kennewick," Thoelke said.

We are one Tri-Cities or even a Quad-Cities. Many work in one town, live in another and shop in yet another. But it wasn't always like that.

"A lot of it has to do with growth in population. It used to be you took the causeway and you knew you were traveling city to city. Now it's almost seamless," said Art Tackett with Benton-Franklin Council of Governments.

The latest population numbers show big growth, but you already knew that. But do they show our strength? For that we have to do a little adding. Take Kennewick plus Richland plus Pasco and add West Richland and you have nearly 200,000 people, that’s an area that rivals Spokane.

When the numbers don't do the talking, the Benton-Franklin Council of Governments do. Their motivation is to think regional. So when they ask the feds for money, population is part of the pitch.

The council is the same group studying a plan for a third bridge over the Columbia River.

They just got the OK to move forward with a study. The state will pay for some and the cities will have to match it.

The group also secured the money for a roofing project in Pasco and waste water infrastructure in West Richland.

"We look at these as regional projects not just for Pasco or West Richland but how does this have a regional impact," Tackett said.

It's a strategy Thoelke would like to see city government follow.

"I think it's way too individual, if we got together we really could do some cool stuff," Thoelke said.

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