Coeur d'Alene closer to finding next councilor

The search for a sixth member of the Coeur d’Alene City Council has been narrowed to three men. 

Retired fire chief Kenny Gabriel, past city finance director John Austin and sign company owner Jeff Connaway were interviewed individually for about 30 minutes by current councilors Monday. 

Mayor Woody McEvers, who will nominate one of the three for the post, said it will be a difficult decision.

He said he would review his notes on each candidate before deciding which one to forward for a council vote at the Oct. 15 meeting. 

“I was pleasantly impressed,” he said afterward.  

Councilors Christie Wood, Dan Gookin, Dan English and Amy Evans agreed. Kiki Miller was unable to attend.

“I think it’s going to be a tough decision to bring one forward,” Wood said. 

English said while the applicants had different backgrounds, each also had the abilities and interests to do well on the City Council. 

“I have no problem with any of the three,” he said. 

Gabriel, Austin and Connaway were selected for interviews from a field of seven who applied after the city announced it was seeking council applicants last month. 

The council seat is open because Jim Hammond earlier this year resigned as mayor, effective Aug. 31, and said he and his wife were moving to Colorado to be near family.   

McEvers, council president and a councilor since 2002, was appointed by the City Council to the mayor post effective Sept. 1. 

Gabriel was previously nominated for the seat, but the council deadlocked in a 3-3 vote and Hammond declined to settle it. 

Gookin, Wood and English opposed Gabriel's nomination because they said they wanted a more transparent process that involved the public.

Councilors took turns asking applicants about their community service, leadership roles, knowledge of the council’s role, their experience in government, how they could make the city more business-friendly, how they would improve the budgeting process and what they saw as challenges facing the city in the next five years. 

Gabriel retired in 2022 after 38 years in fire service, including the last 22 as Coeur d'Alene fire chief. 

He said Monday he has “no desire to be a politician” but believed he offered a unique set of skills and knowledge and is in tune with the community that he loves and has established many relationships.

Gabriel has volunteered as a coach, with nonprofits and on legislative committees. 

He said public safety is a priority, government transparency is a must and he is pro-business. 

Gabriel said serving on the council would be a chance to represent both city staff and citizens. 

“What I’ll promise you is I’ll do the best I can,” he said. 

Austin served as the city’s finance director from 1991 to 2000, was Kootenai County’s chief deputy clerk and finance director from 1987 to 1991, and was the urban financial manager for the Panhandle Area Council from 2001 to 2010. 

He is also a former Eastside Highway District commissioner and founding board member and treasurer of the North Idaho Housing Coalition. 

Today, he is the owner of Austin Consulting, working with local governments to develop infrastructure and jobs. 

Austin said he supported urban renewal districts and saw how they benefited McEuen Park, the Kroc Center and Riverstone. 

He said his financial experience would help with budget challenges. He said he would identify issues, find solutions and be sure taxpayers understood what the city was asking for and why.

“Transparency is very important,” Austin said. 

Connaway has owned and operated Silver Creek Signs in Coeur d’Alene since 1988. He has served on the city’s signboard and arts commission. 

He said he felt “called to apply” when he read a story in The Press last month that the city was seeking City Council applicants. 

While saying he didn’t have experience in government budgets, Connaway said he was a fair, “reasonably intelligent individual,” and is fiscally conservative.

“Don’t spend money unless you really have to,” he said. 

Connaway said he believes the city does a good job of letting businesses thrive and he would do the same. 

“It’s more a matter of staying out of the way and not trying to regulate things,” he said. 

Connaway said when he is presented with a problem, he gets to the bottom of things to figure it out. 

“I think my record speaks for itself,” he said. 

Councilors earn $15,000 annually

If a person is appointed at the council’s first November meeting, they will serve until the Nov. 4, 2025, election is complete with the newly elected councilmember sworn in Jan. 6, 2026. The person appointed may run to retain the seat.  

    Gabriel
  

    Austin
  

  

Coeur d'Alene City Councilman Dan English listens to council applicant John Austin's response to a question Monday at City Hall.