In Nampa, a shaken city mourns its mayor as it mulls a successor

First he paused, then he prayed.

“Lord God, we’re thankful that we can gather together...”

Nampa City Council President David Bills opened a tear-soaked emergency council meeting Thursday afternoon by fighting back some of his own.

Bills stood by an empty chair and a vase of flowers, next to the name of the man the council had gathered on short notice to replace: Mayor Rick Hogaboam, who died suddenly Wednesday night at regional town hall in Eagle. Hogaboam was 47 years old.

The Nampa City Council gave Bills the authority to act as mayor for 90 days or until the council names a permanent mayor, whichever comes first. The unanimous vote should allow Nampa’s city government to carry on as usual — or close to it — as the council looks to fill Hogaboam’s position and grieves the hole left by his absence.

The city is looking for nominations but has no firm timeline for selecting a new mayor, “a difficult, serious undertaking that will require time and consideration,” Bills said.

Meeting 18 hours after Hogaboam’s death, the shocked council agreed that replacing him will be harder than simply selecting a name.

“Our hearts are broken, because we wanted to serve with a great man,” said Councilwoman Debbie Skaug.

Idaho code requires the city council to pick a new mayor in the event of a death in office, but gives little instruction on how. The law says the council may choose one of its own members or an outsider.

“There are several possibilities, ways and styles” of appointing a mayor, Bills said, but the council this week did little to tip its hand. There was some interest in making that choice quickly: Citing continuity for city staff, Councilman Dale Reynolds said he’d like to see a new mayor sworn in within 30 days. But overall, the consensus urged a measured pace.

“We take this decision not with a light heart,” Councilwoman Natalie Jangula said. “We will be prayerful, we will be insightful, and we will work to put the correct person in this position.”

Hogaboam’s career spanned local, county and state government before he was elected in November to a four-year term as the hand-picked successor to Debbie Kling. Before that, he served as Kling’s chief of staff, a Nampa City Council member, and the Canyon County clerk.

Nampa’s incoming mayor will serve until next municipal election, which is scheduled for November 2027. Whoever is elected would serve a four-year term.

There was no discussion of who that person might be Thursday as the council mourned the death of a man they spoke to nearly every day.

“He had a gift of being able to turn 24 hours into a month, and he did it every day,” Councilman Sebastian Griffin said. “The best way we can honor him ... is just showing kindness to one another. Having more grace with one another, and appreciating the time that we have here. Every day we have is a gift. Every day we had with Rick was a gift. And we should honor him by living similarly.”

———

Cause of death: cardiac tamponade. What is that?

Later Thursday, the Ada County Coroner’s Office declared Hogaboam’s cause of death as cardiac tamponade. That is a buildup or blood or other fluid around the heart that prevents the heart from pumping blood properly, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Cancer, infections, trauma and some diseases can cause it.

“When your heart can’t fill with blood properly, it can’t pump as much and your blood pressure drops,” the clinic says in an online post. “Your heart may beat faster (more than 100 beats per minute) to try to pump more blood. … Without treatment, it’s life-threatening.”

This story was originally published March 19, 2026 at 4:00 PM.