Nampa City Council will have only 5 members for the next six months. Here’s why

By Rachel Spacek

Updated November 21, 2023 5:19 PM

Nampa City Hall will be short on City Council members for the next six months. Sarah A. Miller smiller@idahostatesman.com

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The Nampa City Council will be down one member for six months after a recent resignation left the six-member board with only five members.

Former Councilman Jacob Bowers resigned his Seat 6 on the council earlier this month because he is moving out of city limits. On Monday, Mayor Debbie Kling and the council decided to leave his seat open because the change came so close to the November election, the city said in a news release.

“It is my recommendation we let the citizens of Nampa choose who will represent them on council in the November election,” Kling said during the meeting. “We have dedicated City Council members who will continue to represent the citizens of Nampa well during this time.”

An open council seat is typically filled through a mayoral appointment, which is then approved by a council vote.

Councilman Daryl Bruner wanted to fill Bower’s open seat because he thought six months would be too long to be without a member. But Kling worried that whoever she appoints would have “an unfair advantage” in the election on Nov. 7.

The council deliberated for several minutes on the mayor’s suggestion. They also contemplated complicating the November election because it will be the first time Nampa voters will elect council members by district.

The Idaho Legislature passed a bill in 2020 that requires cities with populations that exceed 100,000 to have City Council elections by district. Boise, Meridian and Nampa have had to move to district elections in recent years, and 2023 marks Nampa’s first.

Nampa City Council districts — City of Nampa

Council seats for Districts 2, 4 and 6 will be on the Nov. 7 ballots for Nampa voters. Bruner serves in Nampa Council Seat 2 and Dale Reynolds serves Seat 4. Council seats 1, 3 and 5 will be up for reelection in 2025. All are elected to four-year terms.