Post Falls council gets 3 fresh faces

A new vision for Post Falls is on the horizon after voters elected three newcomers to the City Council on Tuesday night.

Voters aligned with Josh Walker, Nathan Ziegler and Kenny Shove as each candidate beat their incumbent opponents by over 1,000 votes.

Vote breakdowns, according to the Kootenai County Elections Office, are:

Seat 2

Walker — 3,734

Alan Wolfe* — 2,474

Seat 4

Ziegler — 3,696

Steve Anthony* — 1,898

Bob Flowers — 637

Seat 6

Shove — 3,250

Linda Wilhelm* — 2,195

Eric Klinkhammer — 356

Tara Polley — 441

*indicates incumbents.

Ziegler ran on a platform of "preserving the hometown feel" of Post Falls. As a lifelong resident, the 46-year-old advocated for increased citizen participation in decision-making and slow growth.

On Tuesday, Ziegler told The Press he would follow up on his promises and represent the local voice.

"Growth is probably the biggest issue I think (Post Falls) has," Ziegler said. "I want to be a positive voice to give feedback when deciding when and where to put new annexations."

Seeing his voter support "humbled" Ziegler, who called the campaign trail a "positive process" for him and his family.

"I already considered myself a winner based on the comments and support from people I've received already," he said. "I'm very excited (about this position)."

Post Falls Mayor Ron Jacobson, who won re-election Tuesday night, said city staff are preparing training sessions for the new council members.

Though he hasn't formally met the candidates, Jacobson said he's hopeful they'll be a positive addition to the board. The soon-to-be three-term mayor and former city councilman gave this advice to the newcomers:

"People need to listen, watch and learn."

The Post Falls City Council will feature a 50-50 mix of veteran and freshman officials starting in January. Together, Jacobson believes the team can address growth-related concerns and keep the city budget fiscally responsible.

"You can't come in and change the world right away, so to speak," he said. "You've got to figure out what the issues are and what you need to do."

Current Post Falls electeds are:

Seat 1 — four-term Councilwoman Kerri Thoreson

Seat 5 — three-term Councilman Joe Malloy

Seat 6 — two-term Councilman Lynn Borders

Jacobson also expressed appreciation for the incumbents — Wolfe, Anthony, and Wilhelm, for their hard work in bettering Post Falls.

"I think they will be missed," he said. "It's been an honor to serve with them and benefit from their experience, knowledge, and their wisdom."

Shove and Walker did not respond to interview requests from The Press.