Shallat letter: Elect TJ Thomson

Councilman TJ Thomson has earned a third term on Boise’s City Council. With the retiring of Council members Ben Quintana and Maryanne Jordan, Boise needs Thomson’s experience to keep our city moving forward.

When Boise first elected Thomson in 2009, empty lots littered downtown, no protection existed for the LGBTQ members of our community, and our town suffered from a serious homelessness problem.

Since then, Thomson and the rest of the Council have breathed life back into our downtown by partnering with local businesses to spur construction. In 2012, Thomson championed civil rights by helping pass one of Idaho’s first municipal non-discrimination ordinances to protect the LGBTQ community. Thomson also led the way to help fix Boise’s homelessness problem by developing Boise’s Housing First Initiative which created brick-and-mortar shelters for those in need.

This election, Thomson faces three new candidates — each with a platform that echoes his accomplishments. Although these candidates offer voters a different face, Thomson’s track record speaks for itself. Re-electing TJ Thomson to the City Council is a safe bet if we want to keep Boise prosperous, safe, and welcoming.

This story was originally published September 26, 2017 at 10:58 PM with the headline "Shallat letter: Elect TJ Thomson."