2015’s city elections in Boise will go down as ones lacking drama. Boise’s longtime Mayor, David Bieter, racked up nearly 70 percent of the vote on his way to a fourth term. City council incumbents Elaine Clegg, Scot Ludwig and Lauren McLean won by large margins as well.
The city’s $10 million open space preservation levy was also an easy winner, gaining the support of nearly 75 percent of those who voted on the issue. The new levy will add open space in areas around the city, as well as fund restoration projects along the Boise River.
Courtney Washburn managed the levy campaign. She watched last night from the Basque Center in downtown Boise as the results came in.
"I think it really affirm the values we've had during the whole campaign," she says, "that people really think Boise is a really great place to live, work and raise a family. And that open space and protection of the Boise River and other places around the city are important."
Washburn says turnout was a concern, so her team focused on get out the vote efforts leading up to the election. She says the next step will be to appoint a citizens advisory committee to oversee the fund.
Elsewhere in the Treasure Valley, West Ada School District voters approved a supplemental operating levy with 59 percent support. A simple majority was needed to pass. A library construction bond in Meridian also received 59 percent support, but failed as it needed a two-thirds majority to pass.
Meridian Mayor Tammy de Weerd easily defeated two challengers in her race for re-election. De Weerd received 78 percent of the vote. In Eagle, incumbent Mayor Jim Reynolds lost his bid for another term. Challenger Stan Ridgeway beat Reynolds by a 61-39 percent margin. Star Mayor Nathan Mitchell was also unseated. Challenger Chad Bell won their race by 25 percent.
Voter turnout was 27 percent across the county. That exceeded projections from the Ada County Clerk's office by about three percent.
In McCall, a push to raise the city's minimum wage failed.
Full Ada County election results can be viewed here.
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