u/dpk1974

City of Post Falls

August 17, 2026

The City is in a difficult financial position. Inflation and skyrocketing expenses have far outstripped tax revenue, driving us toward insolvency. We can see a substantial deficit on the horizon that will only get worse over time. And it’s not just us—every local taxing district in Idaho is in the same position. We’re starting to feel the long-term effects of the rapid devaluation of the dollar. It’s going to get worse.

The response from many elected officials will be to raise taxes by the maximum amount, put levy overrides on the ballot, burn through savings, and hope things somehow get better. Post Falls is going to be different. We will not leave a crisis for those who come after us. We will be proactive. Government must live within its means just like everyone else.

To that end, I’m releasing my plan to streamline government and make significant cuts. It outlines the problem and lists key strategies for attacking the problem from every angle. No stone will be left unturned. This is a draft document, because this process cannot be done without public input. The People should decide how we spend their money and which services we cut. I want to hear your input.

I will incorporate this community feedback into the draft and then bring this document to the City Council to ask for formal adoption. This process of reform will take years, and the path will not be easy. But we will not run from the problems we were elected to solve. Like always, Post Falls will set the gold standard for other cities to follow.

Randy Westlund

Mayor, City of Post Falls

El Jefe's Grill (CDA) has opened Jefe's Tacos and Tequila at 761 N. Idaho St. (formerly The Bullet Bar & Grill).

Has anyone been here yet? Thoughts?

The Flying Pickle is finally open. For all you pickleball enthusiasts, The Flying Pickle is at 140 N. Beck Road.

With the recent concerns about Flock cameras, I’d like to clarify the City’s position.

We do not and will not use Flock camera systems in Post Falls. I am firmly opposed to unconstitutional mass surveillance and the construction of large national databases which track the movement of citizens.

We do have a limited and tightly controlled use of Motorola cameras that read license plates and check against the NCIC wanted list. We use these in cases like stolen vehicles, abducted children, and vehicles associated with active warrants. We do collaborate with federal law enforcement, including ICE. We own the cameras and the data, which is never shared commercially. Every use is connected to an active case and access is regularly audited to prevent abuse. We do not and will not track movement of law-abiding residents; the system is configured for real-time notification against active wanted lists only.

Idaho state law currently requires all cities to keep these images for a minimum of two years and some jurisdictions keep them forever. I believe this is wrong, and opens the door to myriad privacy concerns. I call on our state legislators to amend state law to prevent the construction of tracking databases by requiring this data to be deleted within 90 days.

This is a glaring flaw in our state code which must be addressed ASAP. Please allow us to enforce the law while protecting the privacy of our residents.

We are committed to enforcing the law without ever spying on citizens. Because good government is transparent, we will be publishing all our policies and procedures around our limited use of cameras in the coming days. Technology may be a tool, but never a crutch. We will never have a surveillance state in Post Falls.

Randy Westlund

Mayor, City of Post Falls

Atilano's is open a new location in Post Falls. It will be where Zip's was on Seltice.

I stayed there for a couple nights. Kids had a great time at your beach park next to the bridge. I had visited Sandpoint before and was anticipating the same retiree-heavy crowd, but was pleasantly surprised by the number of familes and young people. Seems like the town is seeing lots of growth which has its downsides, but is ultimately better than stagnation. People were super nice too.

And happy 250th birthday America! How are you celebrating our nation's birthday here in Post Falls today?

Where is the best place for an anniversary dinner here in Post Falls that isn't pub food?

Where are the best places to eat here in Post Falls? What menu item(s) do you recommend?

Everyone always asks what the good restaurants are but nobody seems to ask the real question... which ones should people avoid.

So have at it. Which restaurants should people avoid here in Coeur d'Alene and why?