Frequently Asked Questions

The Mayor’s Office is on the third floor of City Hall, which is located at 150 North Capitol Boulevard. Free 20-minute metered parking is available on Capitol Boulevard in front of City Hall and on nearby streets. “First Hour Free” parking is available at the Capitol Terrace Parking Garage, located directly across Capitol Boulevard from City Hall; the garage can be accessed from Main or Idaho streets.

The Mayor of Boise is the chief operating officer of the City of Boise. City government is organized into 11 departments, with each department head reporting directly to the Mayor. Boise has a six-member City Council, which is responsible for setting the budget and policies for the city. The Mayor chairs City Council meetings and generally votes only in the case of a tie.

Mail to either the Mayor or Council should be sent to P.O. Box 500, Boise ID 83701 or it may be hand delivered to the office. Faxes may be sent to 384-4420. The e-mail address for the mayor is mayor@cityofboise.org. The e-mail address for the Council is council@cityofboise.org.

Yes, all City Council meetings are open to the public, except for Executive Sessions dealing with personnel, litigation and other items as allowed by the Idaho Open Meetings Law. The meetings are held on the third floor of City Hall every Tuesday beginning at 7:30 p.m. except on the fourth Tuesday of each month, when the meeting begins at noon. Information on the meeting schedules or agenda is available at 384-4422 or from the City Clerk’s office.

Not all agenda items are subject to public testimony. Sign-up sheets to testify at public hearings are available before each meeting. After everyone who has signed up to testify has done so, the Mayor and Council accept comment from any others in the audience who wish to speak. If you want to talk to the Mayor and Council about an item not on the agenda or not subject to public testimony, you may do so at the end of the meeting.

City Council members are elected at large and represent the entire city rather than one geographical area. The offices of Mayor and City Council are non-partisan, and city elections are held in odd-numbered years.

Yes! Many Scouts and students regularly attend City Council meeting. Copies of the meeting agenda are available for their use at each meeting. Copies of the Boise City budget are also available for Scouts who are working on their Citizenship in the Community merit badge. The Mayor attempts to recognize the Scouts and students who are present and often invites a visiting Scout to lead the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance.

The Mayor’s Office maintains a hotline to receive input directly from the community. The number for the Mayor’s Hotline is 384-4044, or click here for full contact information.