COEUR d'ALENE - Local businessman Adam Graves announced his candidacy for Coeur d'Alene City Council on Tuesday.

The 37-year-old co-founder of Range NW, a branding and marketing firm with offices in Dallas and Coeur d'Alene, is vying for Seat 1, held by City Council President Ron Edinger.

"I've always thought people my age, my demographic, should be more involved," Graves said. "I think things need to change from what they've traditionally been in the past."

Graves issued a press release Tuesday on his first run for council. The married father of two said he supports the McEuen Field project, and doesn't support ending collective bargaining for city employees.

Conversely, he said, new monies from reduced departments shouldn't go to increased wages for city employees.

"Those dollars should go back to the citizens in the form of tax reductions," Graves stated in the press release. "If existing employees are taking on added tasks for the same pay, well that is exactly how business works in the private sector and should be so in the government sector."

Graves, who is treasurer of the Coeur d'Alene Downtown Association's Board of Directors and sits on the city's parking commission, called the McEuen Field project "a positive one," as a redeveloped downtown park could be an economic boon to the city.

"It is a prime piece of land that is under-utilized and a deteriorating blight on the downtown environment," the press release said.

In an interview with The Press, Graves said a lot of thought went behind selecting a run at Seat 1. Edinger, the lone opposition vote to the McEuen Field conceptual plan, has said he will run again.

"I want to make sure things continue to get better, and not the other way," Graves said, about the importance of big projects coming before the city. He said he did not seek Seat 1 because of Edinger's no-vote. "All in all, we've been doing a lot of good things in the city."

Graves has been a Coeur d'Alene resident since he was 6 years old. His company annually donates upward of $15,000 in marketing services to local causes such as Hospice of North Idaho, Idaho Drug Free Youth, United Way and Boys and Girls Club.

The press release states Graves' platform will present "a new style of thinking."

It states he believes in a mix of human and environmental rights with conservative financial taxing practices. He leans toward fiscal frugality, it says, although he understands that smart investments can create positive returns.

"I work in a creative profession and I carry that creativity into my decision-making processes. I do not believe that something should be done the same way simply because it's always been done that way," Graves stated in the release. "Not always, but often times, a different approach creates improvements."