Mayor Lauren McLean

In her 2023 State of the City Address, Mayor Lauren McLean laid out her vision for the city of Boise while highlighting city projects moving the needle on housing affordability, public safety, transportation, and access to parks and open space as the city grows and changes.

“Even through challenging times, I am betting on Boise,” added Mayor McLean. “I am betting on us as a community of people who have, generation after generation, rolled up our sleeves, worked together and beat the odds.”

Mayor McLean highlighted Boise’s work on a housing project at State and Arthur, where city land was used to incentivize a partnership with CCDC and Pacific Companies to make homes accessible along an important transportation corridor. Housing incentives are also a component of the city’s new, modern zoning code. This important update will create homes of all shapes and sizes that blend into a neighborhood’s fabric and address the growing need for housing in our community.

The city successfully kept $5.7 million in property tax dollars in the hands of Boiseans under Mayor McLean’s leadership while giving back an additional $1.2 million in property tax rebates to the city’s most vulnerable residents. The proposed 2024 budget includes an expansion of this important property tax rebate program for more homeowners.

Boise is also taking meaningful action when it comes to public safety and mental health support. In the last three years, the Boise Police Department has doubled the size of its behavioral health unit, pairing sworn officers and mental health professionals so that those experiencing a mental health crisis can get the help they need quickly and efficiently. The city’s 2024 budget also proposes establishing four-person staffing on fire engines in the Boise Fire Department, a first for Boise. Adding an extra firefighter on calls will keep residents safe and improves response capabilities.

Watch Mayor McLean’s full address here.