The Boise City Council is a six-member legislative body, with one member elected from each of the city’s six districts. Together they adopt the annual budget, pass local ordinances, confirm the mayor’s appointments to city boards, and act as the legislative check on the mayor under Boise’s mayor-council form of government.
Who Sits on the Council
The six current members, each representing a geographic district:1City of Boise. City Council
- District 1 — Luci Willits
- District 2 — Colin Nash
- District 3 — Kathy Corless, Council Pro Tem
- District 4 — Jordan Morales
- District 5 — Meredith Stead, Council President
- District 6 — Jimmy Hallyburton
The council president presides over meetings and represents the body in formal proceedings. The pro tem fills in when the president is unavailable. Both roles are elected by the council itself at the first meeting of a new term.2Idaho State Legislature. Idaho Code 50-702 – Qualification of Councilmen, Terms, Installation
How Members Are Elected
Boise moved from at-large voting to district elections after Idaho law began requiring cities with more than 100,000 residents to draw geographic election districts.3Idaho State Legislature. Idaho Code 50-707A – Election of Councilmen by Districts Only voters inside a district choose that district’s representative, and the member has to live there. The map is reviewed periodically to keep populations roughly equal.
Elections are staggered. Three of the six seats appear on the ballot every two years, so the council never turns over all at once. Districts 2, 4, and 6 were most recently up in 2025.4City of Boise. City Elections
Terms, Pay, and Vacancies
Each seat carries a four-year term that starts at the first council meeting in January following the election. Idaho sets no term limits for city council members, so an incumbent can run again indefinitely.2Idaho State Legislature. Idaho Code 50-702 – Qualification of Councilmen, Terms, Installation
As of January 2026, council members earn an annual salary of $31,183.80. Each also receives $150 per month for incidental expenses such as local travel and phone use. A member serving as acting mayor during the mayor’s absence receives an additional $250 per day for that service.5American Legal Publishing. Boise City Code 1-6-3 – Salaries
When a seat opens between elections, the mayor nominates a replacement, and the sitting council members confirm or reject the choice. If the mayor’s office is also vacant, the council president nominates. Whoever is appointed serves only until the next general city election, when voters pick someone to finish out the remainder of the original term.6Idaho State Legislature. Idaho Code 50-704 – Vacancies, Appointment
What the Council Does
Idaho law vests each city’s legislative authority in its council.7Idaho State Legislature. Idaho Code 50-701 – Composition, Powers For Boise, that translates into a handful of concrete jobs.
The biggest is the budget. The council adopts the city’s annual spending plan every year. For fiscal year 2026, the general fund alone exceeds $331 million, funding police, fire, parks, and public works, with another $329 million directed to capital investment in infrastructure.8City of Boise. FY 2026 Adopted Budget
The council also passes the ordinances that function as local law inside city limits, decides zoning and land-use questions after public hearings, and confirms or rejects the mayor’s nominees to boards and commissions that oversee bodies such as the airport, the library system, and planning and zoning. The appointment power is where the council exerts some of its most lasting influence over the executive branch.
How an Ordinance Gets Passed
A new ordinance in Boise doesn’t clear in a single vote. Idaho law requires three readings on three separate days. At least one of those readings has to be the full text; the other two can be by title only. The council can waive the three-reading rule, but that waiver requires a supermajority: at least half the full council plus one more member.9Idaho State Legislature. Idaho Code 50-902 – Passage of Ordinances
In a genuine emergency, the council can act faster if it finds an imminent threat to public health, safety, or welfare. Emergency ordinances need a written statement of the reasons and expire automatically after 182 days. The council cannot stack them: at least one year has to pass before another emergency ordinance on the same subject can take effect, and keeping the rule in place longer than 182 days requires going through the standard notice and hearing process.10American Legal Publishing. Boise City Code 11-02-02 – Emergency Ordinances
Conflict of Interest Rules
Council members fall under Idaho’s Ethics in Government Act. Before voting on any matter where they have a personal financial interest, a member has to disclose it. The disclosure covers anything that could benefit the official, their immediate family, or an entity in which they hold a significant ownership stake.11Idaho State Legislature. Idaho Code 74-404 – Required Action in Conflicts
Disclosure alone does not force a recusal. An elected municipal official who discloses a conflict may still debate and vote unless they ask to be excused. If a member requests to be excused and the rest of the council refuses, the member is shielded from liability related to that vote. Members can also consult the city attorney in advance; an opinion that no conflict exists carries legal protection under the statute.
Attending a Meeting or Reaching a Member
The council meets every Tuesday at Boise City Hall. Most sessions start at 6:00 p.m. The exception is the fourth Tuesday of each month, when the meeting begins at noon.1City of Boise. City Council Meetings include public hearings on zoning changes, budget amendments, and proposed ordinances, and residents can testify directly before the council votes.
Outside of meetings, residents can contact the council office through a form on the city’s website, and written comments submitted before a public hearing go into the official record. Physical mail sent to Boise City Hall is also added to the record.
Running for a Seat
Candidates for Boise City Council have to be qualified electors in their district when they file their declaration of candidacy with the city clerk.2Idaho State Legislature. Idaho Code 50-702 – Qualification of Councilmen, Terms, Installation Under Idaho law, a qualified elector is at least 18, a United States citizen, a registered voter, and a resident of the state and county for at least 30 days before the election.12Idaho Secretary of State. Student and Teacher Resources and Services Because Boise uses district elections, the candidate also has to live in the specific district they want to represent.3Idaho State Legislature. Idaho Code 50-707A – Election of Councilmen by Districts There is no separate educational or professional prerequisite.