WESTLUND: Mayor-to-be’s approach to vacancy concerning

Like many residents, I have followed the Coeur d’Alene City Council’s process for filling the seat vacated by Dan Gookin after his election as mayor. The city issued a public call for applicants. Twenty-three citizens stepped forward. That group was narrowed to three finalists, all of whom will be interviewed by the council. The process reflects public participation, transparency, and accountability.

Now contrast that with what is happening in Post Falls.

At the Jan. 6 City Council meeting, the council will adjourn and reconvene in an upstairs conference room. The public may attend. There, the newly sworn-in mayor, Randy Westlund, will present a single candidate for the vacant council seat — a candidate chosen solely by him. There has been no public call for applicants, no explanation of the criteria used, and no opportunity for citizen input. Yet taxpayers will be paying this individual’s salary. They deserve to know how this decision was made.

The irony is hard to ignore. Just last year, when he was a council member, Randy Westlund criticized the process used to fill a vacant seat, arguing there was no reason to rush and that more interviews were needed. Now that he holds the power, those concerns appear to have vanished.

Unlike Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls has offered no transparency, no accountability, and no meaningful public involvement.

As a Post Falls resident, I am deeply concerned that the mayor’s first act is to bypass public input and make a unilateral decision. This does not bode well for participatory government.

I urge citizens to email the City Council or attend the Jan. 6 meeting and remind them that public input is not an inconvenience — it is essential to good governance.

MICHELLE LIPPERT

Post Falls