POST FALLS — Scot Haug announced his candidacy for Post Falls mayor and advocated for smaller government with less red tape for businesses on Thursday.

He announced his candidacy at Knudtsen Chevrolet in Post Falls.  

“I have been dedicated to our community for over 30 years from patrol officer to police chief,” he said.  

Haug served as Post Falls police chief from 2009 to 2018, but his service to the city began much earlier, he said. 

“I actually started as a dog catcher in Post Falls in 1986,” Haug said. 

The platform for Haug’s campaign is “Building a safer, stronger Post Falls: eliminating waste and protecting our community.”     

As police chief, Haug said, he oversaw more than 100 staff and volunteers, and managed the city’s largest budget at that time. 

He said his time as police chief was during a time of rapid growth, economic shifts and evolving public safety needs. Some of his priorities will be to use technology to streamline city operations, modernize processes to reduce budgets and deliver tax relief. 

“As mayor, I will focus on five priorities: reducing budgets, enhancing public safety, improving customer service strengthening infrastructure and business-focused leadership,” Haug said.  

He said he is interested in improving relationships with citizens and looking into issues such as why Post Falls has lost police officers.  

“We work for the citizens. It should be a Nordstrom’s level of service,” Haug said. “If we can make it work, we should be saying 'yes.'”      

Balancing the small-town charm of the city with a thriving industry is also a major part of Haug’s platform, and he said he plans to reduce red tape to bolster job creation. 

Haug’s bid for Post Falls mayor would challenge incumbent Mayor Ron Jacobson, who is on his third term as mayor. Jacobson’s term runs through 2025.