Jacobson to seek second term as Post Falls mayor

POST FALLS — Post Falls Mayor Ron Jacobson will seek a second term in the position in November.

Prior to serving as mayor the past three and a half years, Jacobson was on the City Council for 15 years.

He also previously served on the Parks and Recreation Commission and Urban Renewal Commission.

Jacobson has also been active with Post Falls Rotary, local schools, Post Falls Food Bank, the Jacklin Arts and Cultural Center, Post Falls Senior Center and St. Vincent de Paul.

"I have watched and participated in the growth the city has experienced," Jacobson said in a written statement. "While we have accomplished much, there is still work to do. We continue to work on balancing taxes by expanding our tax base and creating operating efficiencies.

"Working with the Post Falls Chamber of Commerce, the city is focused not only on attracting new businesses, but also on business retention and expansion. A strong business community is essential for a vibrant, financially stable Post Falls."

Jacobson said he wants the city to encourage further development of areas such as the city center and near the Beck Road interchange.

"I want to see a better balance of housing options in Post Falls and the creation of jobs that will facilitate this balance," he said. "I want to see smart, sustainable growth."

Jacobson said Post Falls has taken only one tax increase over the past several years and that was due to threatened litigation over the street light fees.

The city council changed charging for lights to a tax instead of a fee that shows up on residents' monthly bills.

"The cost of defending a potential lawsuit that legal counsel advised us we would lose was not an expense we wanted our citizens to bear," he said. "We continue to compare our tax rate with neighboring cities and look for ways to lessen the tax burden on our citizens."

While Jacobson has been mayor the city has adopted Economic Development and Arts policies and is in the process of adopting its Comprehensive and Transportation Master plans. It completed the first phase of a $14 million wastewater plant expansion to meet the demands of the Environmental Protection Agency, hired a full-time attorney to be more responsive to daily matters and helped facilitate several business moves or expansions.

Jacobson said he believes he has been responsive to the community.

"I have always listened to citizen issues and make sure I or the appropriate staff member responds to phone calls and emails," he said. "It takes a team to be successful and I believe Post Falls has a great team in place.”

Meanwhile, three of the six City Council seats will also be up for grabs in November.

Linda Wilhelm, who currently holds Seat 6, said she plans to seek re-election. All of the mayoral and council seats are four-year terms.

Wilhelm has served on the council for 10 years, including the past four as the board's president. She served on the Post Falls Planning and Zoning for nine years before the council.

Wilhelm served on the Kootenai Metropolitan Planning Organization for four years as well as several years on the Jobs Plus board.

"Bringing better-paying jobs, manufacturing, aerospace and health care businesses to Kootenai County has been an important focus for me," she said. "These companies that relocate to Post Falls will continue to build the tax base in Post Falls and hopefully eventually lower homeowners' taxes. Another very important (project) is to continue to the grow the downtown area."

Wilhelm, a real estate agent, also serves on the board of the Post Falls Community Volunteers.

"I was taught by my parents and grandparents to help others," she said. "That it is my responsibility to do that. I feel I have a passion for that. A sense of community is why I love Post Falls."

Betty Ann Henderson, the Seat 4 holder, said she does not plan to seek another term.

"Eight years is long enough," she said.

Alan Wolfe, the Seat 2 councilor, hasn't formally announced that he'll seek re-election. He couldn't be reached for comment on Sunday prior to deadline.

The nonpartisan election is Nov. 7.