Wood announces City Council reelection campaign

Christie Wood announced her campaign for reelection to the Coeur d’Alene City Council.

Wood said, in a news release, that she is running for reelection because the city needs the experience and voice for public safety on the council and she intends to continue in that role.

Wood served 26 years as a police officer with the city of Coeur d'Alene and said she fully understands the challenges of both police and firefighters.

“In my mind, the No. 1 priority for a city is to keep its residents safe. I will always prioritize the budget in that regard,” Wood said, in the release. “I am also so proud of our beautiful parks, our safe drinking water and the numerous department heads who work hard in their positions to keep our city operating efficiently. It’s a delicate balance to make sure each department is funded appropriately.”

Local nonpartisan elected positions are under attack, said Wood’s news release, and the city could find itself in a similar position to North Idaho College.

“I have personally lived through the chaos and purposeful destruction of NIC by three board members. I saw firsthand what damage can come about with a partisan agenda,” Wood said, in her announcement. “I continue to support the efforts of the minority on the board to save the college. We cannot allow that kind of dysfunction to infect our cities and bear the negative economic effects in our entire region.”

Wood noted that the council works well together.

“You will not see disrespect or disregard for civility. However, we are not a rubber stamp,” Wood said. “Councilman Gookin and I tend to be very vocal but even we do not vote lockstep. I fully support his candidacy. We are running as a slate this fall and intend to thwart any attempt by the KCRCC to harm our city government.”

Wood said that moving forward, the city needs to focus on traffic concerns due to growth.

“It’s important we maintain our streets and make every effort to plan appropriately for impacts to surrounding neighborhoods and high traffic areas,” said Wood, in the release. “I have consistently called for long-term strategic planning. A master plan that guides budget and facilities, and individual department plans is critical to a city our size.”

Wood has many years of experience in public service having served 18 years on the NIC board, eight years on the Coeur d’Alene School Board and four years as a City Council member.

“I am a local, a proud Idahoan,” Wood said. “And have plenty of energy to continue in public service to our citizens. Our community is worth fighting for.”