Post Falls Mayor Jacobson announces reelection campaign

Post Falls Mayor Ron Jacobson announced his bid for reelection Monday, emphasizing his conservative approach to city governance during his 34-year career in public service.  

"Anybody that knows me knows I'm conservative. Anyone can ask me anything," Jacobson said. "Although it's become political, (running for mayor) is a nonpartisan race. There is nothing political about providing water, wastewater, streets, police and parks and recreation. That’s what we’re charged with doing here."

Jacobson said he was compelled to announce his candidacy after rumors began circulating that he wouldn’t seek reelection. The timing follows former Post Falls Police Chief Scott Haug's entry into the race.

Jacobson said one of his signature achievements has been overseeing the city's $44 million wastewater treatment plant upgrade. He said that while some people think the upgrade was due to an increase in population, it really had more to do with meeting federal regulations. 

"The majority of it is to meet the EPA and DEQ requirements," Jacobson said. 

He also pointed to getting police officers an early pay increase to keep the department’s wages competitive as a point of pride. 

On fiscal matters, Jacobson pointed to the city's track record of careful budgeting. 

"We watch our expenses. We have a streamlined budget and public safety is huge," he said. He noted that prior to this year, Post Falls had avoided increasing its levy rate for more than a decade, though he acknowledged that rising property values have still impacted overall tax bills. 

He also credited the city’s staff for continuing to operate efficiently. 

"If something good is done, it's because of the efforts of our staff, not myself or the council," Jacobson said. "We've had an outstanding staff, and as a result, I think we operate in a very efficient manner." 

Jacobson is a lifelong resident of Kootenai County. He and his wife, Susan, have lived in Post Falls for 44 years. Addressing the city's rapid growth, Jacobson said updates to the city’s comprehensive plan were in the works. 

"I'll be very honest — I do not like the large volume of apartments we've seen," he said, while noting recent occupancy data suggesting a potential saturation point in multifamily housing. He expressed optimism about commercial development throughout the city and expanding medical facilities operated by Kootenai Health and Northwest Specialty Hospital are expanding. 

"We don't go out as a city and solicit residential growth," Jacobson said. "If it's a good business, good paying jobs, we'll continue to work to bring good businesses in." 

He said that experienced leadership is important right now, given that several council members have served two years or less. 

 "Leadership is important because we've had a very young city council," Jacobson said. 

Looking ahead, Jacobson sees managing growth and infrastructure development as key challenges. The city is updating its comprehensive plan and recently completed a housing needs assessment. He anticipates more infill development rather than expanding the city’s borders in the coming years. 

Of the possibility of serving another term, he said his motto would stay the same: “We can improve, always improve.”