POST FALLS - Post Falls businessman Joe Malloy will seek Post Falls City Council seat No. 3 in the Nov. 8 election.

Malloy, a 34-year-old sales and marketing executive for Idaho Veneer Company, will challenge incumbent Scott Grant.

Malloy said his main priorities are bringing jobs to Post Falls, keeping taxes low and ensuring the City Council is available and responsive to the public.

"I will bring a perspective that is not currently represented on the council," said Malloy, referring to his age and generation as being underrepresented in many areas of government. "I also bring with me my experience in private business, and a high level of involvement in the greater community. I believe all of these things together will help me to be an effective councilman for the people of Post Falls."

Expanding opportunities for business and creating jobs is important to the graduate of the Washington State University business school. He said he wants to maintain the status of Post Falls as one of the more business-friendly cities in the region.

The business climate is something he is aware of through his workplace, which has been in the Malloy family since it opened in 1953.

"I want do even more to keep and attract businesses here," he said. "We need more jobs in Post Falls, and the only way to make that happen is to make more people to start or move their businesses here. We can do that by making it less expensive to do business in our city"

Malloy is concerned that one of the major costs to business, as well as the homeowner, is taxes. He opposed the recently passed 2 percent tax increase. Malloy says it makes no sense to raise taxes in the middle of the recession.

"My personal income has fallen by about 25 percent in the last three years, and I consider myself one of the lucky ones," he said. "Almost everyone has been forced to do more with less. Now is not the time to raise taxes."

Malloy has lived in Post Falls part time since 1992. He bought a home in the city in 2003.

Malloy believes community involvement and public responsiveness are keys to being a success on the council.

He is an active sportsman and athlete, playing adult co-ed soccer, a member of the Coeur d'Alene Snowmobile Club, a rugby referee and the head coach of the North Idaho College Rugby Club.

He is legislative District 5 chairman for the state Republican Party and has been a member of the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee since 2002. He served as the youth committeeman from 2004 to 2006.

"As a councilman, I want to hear what folks have to say about how the city is run; what is working, what isn't working," he said. "The council should be listening to what the community wants and then act accordingly. We should not be limiting the time constituents can speak; we should be looking for more opportunities for the council to listen."

Some council members voted against a motion to increase the citizen comment period of the budget public hearing from 3 to 5 minutes.