Council rejects mayoral pick for police chief; city administrator’s nominee is approved

Mayor Ron Gookin placed the appointment of Captain Dave Hagar before the City Council for approval after a months‑long selection process that divided council members and drew dozens of speakers to the public‑comment period.

The meeting featured extended legal argument about who has the authority to appoint department heads in Coeur d’Alene. City Attorney Randy Adams told council that city personnel rules designate the police chief as a department head and that, under those adopted rules and Idaho law (citing Idaho Code §50‑204 and the Idaho Supreme Court decision discussed in Bunt v. Garden City referenced by the attorney), appointment authority for department heads lies with the city administrator rather than the mayor. The mayor testified he had obtained an outside legal opinion that gave him appointment authority and criticized the city attorney’s advice as biased; the exchange grew heated on the council dais.

Council then voted on the mayor’s motion to appoint Captain Dave Hagar. The roll call vote was: Gabriel — No; English — Yes; Wood — Yes; Evans — No; Sheffler — No; Miller — Yes/Abstention recorded as the transcript notes “I.” (per roll‑call pattern). The motion failed, and no mayoral appointment was made.

Immediately afterward, City Administrator Ron Jacobson presented his recommended appointment of Greg Yager (transcribed in the record as Yager/Yeager). The council approved Jacobson’s appointment by roll call: Gabriel — Yes; English — No; Wood — No; Evans — Yes; Sheffler — Yes; Miller — Yes, giving the motion the votes needed to pass.

Throughout the discussion, members of the public and current and former law‑enforcement officials spoke passionately on both sides. The Coeur d’Alene Police Association president, Don Craft, told the council the association had overwhelmingly endorsed Hagar on an internal membership ballot. Other speakers — including retired law‑enforcement leaders, current officers and community members — expressed either support for Hagar’s leadership and the department’s recent crime reductions or concern about allegations in a pending federal lawsuit that some speakers said bear on whether Hagar should be appointed.

The council recorded a strong difference of view over institutional process. Several members stressed the historical city practice of routing department‑head appointments through the city administrator to preserve operational coordination with legal, human‑resources and other staff. Others said the mayor’s authority to appoint with council approval was supported by certain statutory readings and by practice in other Idaho cities.

Next steps noted at the meeting: the newly approved appointment will be conveyed to Greg Yager and the city will proceed to fill operational leadership roles as directed by the city administrator; the mayor indicated he may seek further legal options to contest the interpretation of appointment authority. The record includes public calls for due process, references to pending litigation, and multiple requests that council decisions be documented with evidence‑based, non‑defamatory reasons when declining a candidate.

Votes and actions recorded in the meeting minutes are the authoritative record of the council’s decisions.