This Nampa City Councilman is stepping down — to become the mayor’s top aide
Nampa City Councilman Rick Hogaboam will step down from his City Council seat to become Mayor Debbie Kling’s chief of staff in January.
“It was an exciting surprise when Rick shared his interest in the position,” Mayor Kling said in a news release. “His knowledge and passion for our community has been made evident through his service on the Nampa City Council and I look forward to using his talents to move the vision of Nampa forward.”
Hogaboam’s last day as a city councilman is set for Jan. 6. He is expected to start his new position as chief of staff in January.
Hogaboam will be Kling’s third chief of staff in the two years since she was sworn in as mayor in January 2018. The position was first held by Bobby Sanchez, who in June became Kling’s workforce development director. He resigned in September due to health concerns.
Sanchez was replaced by Clay Long, who previously served as an administrator for the Nampa School District’s Career and Technical Education program. In November, less than six months into his role as chief of staff, Long took a job as the state administrator of the Idaho Division of Career-Technical Education.
“The season we need to enter into is a season of stability,” Hogaboam said in a phone interview.
Hogaboam has served on the Nampa City Council since January 2018, where he has served as the council’s liaison to police in contract negotiations and the library board of trustees. He also is the lead pastor at Sovereign Grace Fellowship in Nampa, and serves as the executive director of the Lifeline Pregnancy Resource Center, a Nampa nonprofit that counsels pregnant women in alternatives to abortion. He will step down from both roles.
“I am thankful for the opportunity to join Mayor Kling and the incredible team at the City of Nampa in advancing our long-term goals and converting strategic planning into measured results for our citizens,” Hogaboam said in the news release. “It is an honor to step into this office and serve Nampa as we keep taking steps to assure a healthy and prosperous future by improving the effectiveness of local government, while also finding ways to save taxpayer money.”
Hogaboam said that he hopes to help guide Nampa’s operations, and look closely at how the city’s staff “measures improvement,” by collecting and measuring data on city goals.
He’ll also work closely with Nampa’s code enforcement team, which has seen the number of code complaints increase as the city grows, and the city clerk’s office. He’ll also help guide the city budgeting process and the mayor’s relationship with the City Council.
Kling’s office will recommend someone to fill Hogaboam’s spot on the City Council through January 2022. Interested residents should submit a letter and resume to mayor@cityofnampa.us by Jan. 6.
This story was originally published December 16, 2019 at 3:16 PM.
