Boise Mayor Lauren McLean has been in office for 100 days. What she says comes next
After 100 days in office, Boise Mayor Lauren McLean may be slowed down slightly by the pandemic, but she told members of the media during a video news conference that it was not stopping her from working toward her goals.
McLean rolled out transition reports as well as a report summarizing her first 100 days in office Thursday, highlighting what work she and her teams have done since she took office in January.
“I want the public to know that from day one, we jumped in and started working on my vision, the priorities that each of the members of the public made clear were important for the future of our community, and to build the team that we need to make that happen,” she said.
Here’s what McLean said has changed since she took office, and what she expects next:
What already changed in the city
Asked what has changed in 100 days, McLean first cited the introduction of biweekly (and more recently, weekly) sitdowns with news media, which she said allows her to communicate her message to the public.
She also released ethics guidelines prohibiting the mayor from soliciting donations from city staffers, and she built a “new team of people that share my values of asking questions, taking risks, being curious and pushing for more.”
Her 100-day report lists accomplishments such as dedicating $100,000 to teams who support rapid rehousing of people who are homeless, and working with transition teams to develop better policies moving forward.
McLean pointed to work to find savings to limit the city budget in an attempt to provide tax relief to Boiseans.
She said has met with leaders in governmental, business and community groups, although in-person meetings lately have been limited by social distancing restrictions.
What comes next for Boise
McLean said that although plans may need to shift, city employees are prepared to devote time and resources toward economic recovery.
“I’m thinking daily about where we head next and what has to be done to successfully protect our community now and recover in the long run,” she said.
That includes redirecting the city’s in-progress economic development plan, led by Director of Economic Development Sean Keithly, to consider what is needed to promote financial recovery. The city will soon announce a recovery team, McLean said.
She is shaping a budget for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1. She said it will “value housing policy, climate and innovation, as well as transportation,” because those “are the building blocks of a strong economy.”
Perhaps most importantly, she said, will be continued effort to promote community engagement, including using technology. Increased community engagement was a cornerstone of her mayoral campaign, and she said city staffers are looking into more ways to communicate with the public.
As the number of new confirmed COVID-19 cases begin to drop, McLean said she is optimistic springtime events that have been rescheduled for the fall will be able to go on, but she said the city is keeping a close eye on the changing situation.
McLean commended Gov. Brad Little on extending his stay at home order through April 30, but she said she is willing to make the decisions she believes are right for Boise, “even if they are not the same decisions being made in other parts of the state or statewide.” When it comes to reopening businesses, she said she believes there cannot be a strong local economy without protecting public health.
“At the end of the day, when we make decisions about people, we’re making decisions that will help us recover more quickly,” she said.
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