Boise, ID – Of the mayoral races in the Treasure Valley, Eagle’s is shaping up to be one of the most contentious. Interim mayor Jim Reynolds wants to keep his job but he faces one of the people who appointed him, city councilman Norm Semanko who is also Idaho’s Republican Party boss. The Eagle mayor’s office has been a political hot spot since the last election which came down to a runoff. The winner of that later stepped down. It took the city council several months to appoint a replacement. Boise State University political science professor emeritus Jim Weatherby says Eagle’s city government is getting a reputation for bitter division.
Jim Weatherby “That was brought to, I think, the public’s attention when the former mayor stepped down and the president of the council became acting mayor, but could not get any support from the council to at least pay him during those months that he served as acting mayor.”
Weatherby says the political squabbling in Eagle comes from growing pains. He says the council is divided over what kind of services the city should provide. This he says is a philosophical schism over what kind of community Eagle should be.