New Coeur d’Alene mayor outlines transition priorities, staffing and budget fixes

Dan Gookin, sworn in as Coeur d’Alene mayor on January 18, described 2026 as a year of transition and laid out near-term priorities that could reshape the city’s administration, public safety and parks management. He said his agenda includes hiring a new city administrator, fire chief, police chief and parks director, as well as filling a vacant City Council seat.

Those personnel moves will place new leaders at the center of policy and operational decisions just as the city confronts fiscal and growth pressures. Gookin acknowledged a city budget deficit of about $2 million in 2025 and framed that shortfall as a key factor in decision-making, noting the difficulty of preserving services while seeking cost savings. The budget gap will influence hiring timetables, contract decisions and capital project choices in the months ahead.

Gookin signaled an early focus on strategic planning with the City Council to set priorities across departments, and he said he will press for grant funding to advance visible community projects including sidewalks at City Beach and amenities in McEuen Park. Pursuing outside funds could reduce the burden on local taxpayers but will require coordinated applications and matching plans that the new administration must produce.

Public safety staffing changes could affect emergency response capacity and long-term personnel costs. Replacing the police and fire chiefs will give the mayor and council an opportunity to reset operational priorities, training and community engagement strategies. Filling the council vacancy will also change the composition of the body responsible for adopting budgets, confirming hires and approving the strategic plan Gookin proposes.

Growth and housing density were also on the mayor’s agenda. Gookin said he intends to improve communication with builders and other stakeholders as the city navigates development pressures that are reshaping neighborhoods and infrastructure demands. How the administration balances housing density, neighborhood character and infrastructure capacity will be a central policy trade-off for 2026.

Regional collaboration is another thread in the new mayor’s opening playbook. He plans meetings with county leaders and regional education officials to coordinate on workforce, land use and service delivery. Those conversations could affect school capacity planning, traffic and shared service agreements that cross municipal and county lines.

For residents, the immediate implications are practical: expect personnel announcements, possible shifts in public safety and parks programming, and a budget process that will be influenced by the mayor’s strategic planning and grant-seeking efforts. Watch for upcoming council meetings, budget hearings and public notices as the administration fills leadership roles and lays out how it will close the budget gap while advancing lakefront and park improvements.