BOISE, Idaho — Three City Council seats are up for grabs in the November 5 election in Boise. There are 11 candidates vying for those seats, hoping to win over voters.
In order to help voters make their own decisions, 6 On Your Side helped facilitate the Boise City Council Candidates Forum on Wednesday, organized by Boise neighborhood associations and moderated by 6 On Your Side anchor Don Nelson.
Housing, transportation, and growth were just some of the topics the 11 candidates debated Wednesday at South Junior High School.
But one topic that drew a lot of interest from the crowd of roughly 100 was the library and stadium projects— and what level of transparency city government should provide on these major spending decisions.
Here’s what a few of them had to say:
"[Ordinance supporters] sent a powerful message that we are not being heard and we are doing something about it," said Patrick Bageant, city council candidate.
"There was a breakdown in communication," said Brittney Scigliano, another candidate. "If a bond would have been put forward, we would not be in this situation."
"The library is not our priority right now," said Chris Moeness, another candidate.
Other topics the candidates discussed in Wednesday's forum included representing the underrepresented, managing growth, property taxes, and engaging more people in local elections.
Here are the candidates running for each position:
Boise City Council Seat 1
- Patrick Bageant, Karen Danley, Tecle Gebremichael, Chris Moeness, Ryan Peck, Brittney Scigliano
Boise City Council Seat 3
- Jimmy Hallyburton, Meredith Stead
Boise City Council Seat 5
- Debbie Lombard-Bloom, Elaine Clegg, Brady Fuller
6 On Your Side livestreamed the entire forum. To watch, click here.
