EDITORIAL: Let Westlund lead as citizens elected him to do

Mayor Randy Westlund is trying to do what the voters of Post Falls elected him to do in November: take the city in a new direction. He's doing so, one small step at a time. 

His early proposals to introduce a non‑sectarian invocation at the start of City Council meetings and to repeal the long‑standing restrictions on mayoral proclamations are part of that effort. They are positive moves. Both deserve the City Council’s support — with one important refinement.

Westlund recently proposed adding an invocation to council agendas, describing it as a way to “solemnize the occasion, call our minds to the gravity of our duties and recognize that we operate under a higher power.” He emphasized that attendance and participation would be voluntary and that the invocation would not advocate for any specific religion or belief system. If approved, Post Falls would join Coeur d'Alene as one of the cities that pray before City Council meetings, which we see as a positive development. We haven't heard a strong argument against prayer at council meetings.

Council members, however, opted to table it. That’s fine — due diligence matters — and even Westlund acknowledged there are multiple ways to structure invocations, each with its own legal implications. But the fact remains: he is the newly elected Post Falls mayor and is seeking to advance prayer with sensitivity and inclusivity at the forefront. After review, the council should approve an invocation policy. Depending on who you're talking to, prayer matters.

That said, we believe one adjustment would strengthen the proposal: the invocation should be delivered by a pastor or a rotating group of faith leaders, not by the mayor himself. Having a designated faith representative provides both symbolic neutrality and practical clarity, reinforcing that the invocation is ceremonial rather than political. This is how Coeur d'Alene handles it, and it works well.

Westlund’s second proposal — repealing a policy that restricts proclamations involving political or religious issues — also reflects his desire to engage more openly with the public, which, again, we see as a good thing.

Adopted in 2001 to help the city avoid controversy, the policy may have once served a purpose, but it no longer fits the tone or expectations of today’s Post Falls. Westlund is correct that proclamations are largely ceremonial and a way to spotlight something that might otherwise slip by unnoticed. Allowing the mayor to issue them without outdated constraints aligns Post Falls with common practice in many American cities.

The types of proclamations Westlund envisions offer opportunities to highlight community values—not divide the community. And importantly, proclamations do not carry the weight of law or policy; they are statements of recognition and celebration. The city loses nothing by allowing them, and residents gain a mayor more responsive to their requests.

Mayor Westlund has been clear: he wants Post Falls to be bold. He has said as much. He wants it to celebrate what it stands for rather than avoid topics deemed sensitive 25 years ago. Whether one agrees with every proposal is not the point. The point is this: he is leading.

The council should allow him to do what Post Falls voters elected him to do.