COEUR d'ALENE - Coeur d'Alene City Councilman Steve Adams is seeking re-election, he announced this week.

The owner and independent agent at Avalanche Insurance on Sherman Avenue pledged to keep local taxes from increasing and government from growing.

Adams, 49, has been married for 24 years and has three sons, one grown and two others attending Coeur d'Alene public schools.

He is a three-time Coeur d'Alene Triathlon finisher, avid outdoorsman and is active in his church.

As a family man and business owner, Adams said he understands the challenges of the average citizen and small businesses. He said he is committed to making local government more efficient and avoiding excess regulations.

Speaking to the Kootenai County Reagan Republicans Thursday, Adams said his basic political philosophy includes a respect for all life, adherence to the U.S. and Idaho constitutions, and a belief in personal responsibility and "less government."

Adams pointed out that he was the only one on the city council to vote against the anti-discrimination ordinance, which protects lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

Adams anticipates urban renewal being among the top issues in the upcoming election, along with property taxes and labor costs.

Adams would like to see the city's urban renewal agency, ignite cda, dissolved and have the city council take on the work.

"And we make policy never to have urban renewal again in the city of Coeur d'Alene," Adams said.

He would like to see a task force formed to evaluate the necessity of every full-time employee at the city, he said. He also would like to evaluate fees for water, sewer, garbage, franchise permits and capitalization fees.

Adams opposed the new $20 million McEuen Park.

"In my opinion, I'd still like to have it stay the way it was - with some modest improvements," he said.