Skarisky cites expertise on issues

Self-employed residential mortgage broker Anthony Skarisky said he’s aware of the spectrum of issues the Post Falls City Council must attend to.

Skarisky hopes to be elected to the council in November to steer the city through those matters. He’s one of three residents vying for a newly created two-year council term.

“I’m familiar with all the issues we’re dealing with right now, including wastewater, urban renewal, transportation, growth and aquifer studies,” said the 35-year-old father of six.

“Being a residential lender, I deal with this stuff every day,” Skarisky said.

He promises to be a “common-sense voice of the people and a voice for small business here.”

Skarisky believes the big boom years in Post Falls have come and gone.

“Now, we need to look at the prudent management of the city. We really need to think about things in a conservative philosophy (and oversee) managed growth and wise use of our resources, natural and financial,” he said.

That should lead to reduced city spending, he added.

“We should spend money as we get it so we don’t have to have a huge budget for costs that may not be needed five or 10 years down the road. I’m not saying we don’t need to plan,” he added.

A North Idaho resident for more than 30 years, Skarisky said one reason Post Falls is experiencing a decline in housing prices is partially the city’s fault.

“Back in 2003 and 2004, a lot of people were moving here. The city didn’t issue building permits quickly enough,” he said.

Then, the city opened construction “up to everybody and caused an overbuilding in Post Falls, and now (home) prices are declining. That’s just a sign of bad planning.”

Attracting new jobs with higher wages and taking a friendlier approach to encouraging small businesses could be antidotes to the slump, Skarisky said.

“I believe we need to provide managed growth to stabilize local housing prices while increasing affordable housing and protecting private property rights,” he wrote in an e-mail sent to media outlets.

Skarisky said he is not beholden to any special interest groups.

Rather, he said, he is attuned to the needs of citizens and small businesses.