Who’s running for Meridian mayor and council? Our Voter Guide highlights the candidates

Meridian voters will elect a mayor and three City Council members from eight candidates in the upcoming election.

Running for mayor are incumbent Robert Simison and challenger Mike Hon.

Simison was elected in 2019 and seeks a second four-year term.

Hon made headlines this year when he spearheaded an effort to dissolve the Meridian Library District. The effort failed to garner support from the Ada County Commission.

Simison’s campaign is focused on continuing efforts he started when in office, including constructing a Linder Road overpass, building a new community center and creating a health care epicenter. Hon said he sees gaps in Meridian’s public safety efforts and would aim to close the gaps, if elected, by hiring more police officers and fire safety personnel.

This is the first year Meridian voters will elect their council members by geographic district.

Running in City Council District 2 are two incumbents who now serve in at-large seats: Brad Hoaglun and Liz Strader.

Strader said her campaign is not accepting developer donations this cycle because “I put extra effort into maintaining an independent voice.”

Hoaglun said if elected he would focus on keeping the city “fiscally responsible.”

Running in District 3 are Doug Taylor and Bill Chandler.

Taylor is the former chief of staff to Raúl Labrador, and wrote that his experience creating public policy would benefit the city.

Chandler, a business owner, said he thinks Meridian residents are being taxed out of their homes and buildings. He disagreed with the COVID-19 response in Idaho that closed many businesses in the early months of the pandemic.

Both candidates discussed the need for thoughtful and responsible growth. Chandler said he would stop construction permits in areas until there was infrastructure in place to accommodate the construction.

Council Member John Overton, an incumbent, was the only person to file for District 4, so he was reseated automatically, without an election, under state law.

Council District 5 has two candidates: Anne Little Roberts, who previously served on Meridian’s City Council, and Todd Ebeling, a business owner and Oregon native.

Roberts said she was qualified for the council because of her previous role as a member. Ebeling said he was the best person for the job because he is not a politician.

City Council members serve four-year terms.

The Idaho Statesman sent surveys to each of the candidates, and their responses are copied below, unedited.

Swipe below to see all the candidates, or click on the scroll bar at the bottom.

Learn more about this race and other local elections at IdahoStatesman.com/Election.

Rachel Spacek

Idaho Statesman

Rachel Spacek is a former reporter covering Meridian, Eagle, Star and Canyon city and county governments for the Idaho Statesman.