City Cast Boise invited all qualified Boise City Council candidates to complete a short questionnaire to help voters learn more about the people running to represent them in city government. All candidates were sent the same questions, and as you'll see, some questions are more policy-oriented and some are a little more fun!
A lawmaker-turned-City Council member, Colin Nash is an incumbent but this is his first time seeking a council seat via the ballot box. In 2023, he was appointed to fill a seat on the Council and has served the West Bench’s District 2 since. He faces two challengers in Josh Ellstrom and Derek James Smith.
Read the rest of the questionnaire responses here.
1. What’s the most pressing issue you want to address as a Boise City Council member?
Housing affordability remains the most pressing issue facing Boiseans. Research shows Boise will need roughly 20,000 new homes over the next decade, with nearly half affordable to households earning 80 percent of the area median income or less. Meeting that need requires sustained local investment, thoughtful zoning reform, and strong partnerships with industry and nonprofits.
We must also expand housing options for families and individuals exiting homelessness, creating clear pathways from shelter to stability. Ensuring every Boisean has a safe, attainable place to live is not just a housing goal; it is central to our city’s health, safety, and prosperity.
Addressing housing affordability will keep us safe, ensure our children and grandchildren can afford to live here, and protect our quality of life. It will also allow more people to live near where they work, reducing congestion and the negative impacts of regional growth that disproportionately affect Boise as the economic and social hub of the Treasure Valley.
2. How would you describe the City of Boise’s current relationship with the Idaho Legislature, and how would you work to change it?
Having served both in the Idaho Legislature and at Boise City Hall, I bring a unique perspective to this dynamic. Some parts of the city’s relationship with the Legislature are within our control, while others are shaped by being a capital city that’s often perceived as more progressive than much of Idaho.
There are areas where we work well together—for example, Boise plays an outsized role in the state’s Child Abuse Investigation Unit, and many of the zoning reforms we’ve implemented locally are now being considered at the state level. And there are others, like Pride flags, where the city has an interest in signaling its support for queer Boiseans and does not intend to abandon that charge.
I’ll continue to maintain respectful relationships and look for common ground, but my job isn’t to do what I think the Legislature will like—it’s to do what’s best for Boise. That includes advocating for safer streets, like through the adoption use of red-light cameras at the behest of my constituents, even when those positions aren’t popular at the Statehouse and may be preempted by the legislature. My focus will remain on advancing Boise’s interests in a way that’s strategic and responsible, without drawing unnecessary legislative backlash that could make life harder for Boiseans.
3. What is a transportation issue in your district that you’d like to tackle during your term?
Unfortunately, the city has limited tools to address many of our most pressing transportation challenges due to the structure of ACHD and constraints from the Idaho Legislature. That said, I’d like to see VRT extend its best-in-class routes farther west along Fairview Avenue, where they currently stop short. I’ll continue investing in Boise’s pathway system, having already secured the first ongoing funding for projects like the Settler’s Canal Path and the upcoming Tuttle Lateral Pathway at Spaulding Ranch, which will connect through Milwaukee Park. I’ll also keep advocating to ACHD for stronger Safe Routes to School programming to ensure every child can travel safely to and from school.
4. What is the city not doing about housing that you think it should be doing?
The city has not committed ongoing local tax support for affordable housing, instead piecing together one-time or external funding sources like federal grants and done so to much success. While I appreciate this resourcefulness and fiscal discipline, it’s not a sustainable strategy for meeting the scale of our housing challenges. With more than 1,000 homeless households in Boise, we need stable, ongoing funding to help families exit homelessness more quickly, reducing not only the visible impact of homelessness but also the emotional and social toll it takes on our community and the strain it places on emergency services.
5. Do you support the open spaces and water levy? Why or why not?
Yes. The open space and water levy is a smart, high-value investment in Boise’s future. For most households, it would cost about $40 a year for two years but generate tens of millions of dollars in land acquisitions that expand park access across the city—especially in West Boise, where more families will live within a 10-minute walk to a park. It also positions the city to act quickly when valuable foothills properties become available for conservation. In just two years on the council, levy funds have helped make two park acquisitions in the West Bench possible and develop a third, demonstrating the real and lasting impact of this funding.
6. How do you stand out from your competition?
As Boise City Council President and a former legislator representing the West Bench, I bring both the experience and trust needed to be effective in this role. My record shows I have the knowledge and focus to take on Boise’s most serious challenges and the integrity to reflect our shared values. You know where I stand and I’ve shown that I can build consensus on the council to deliver results that benefit both District 2 and Boise as a whole.
7. The City of Boise has a tradition of welcoming refugees, which has been hindered by federal policies under the Trump administration. How do you want the city’s relationship to refugee settlement to continue or change in the near future?
The City of Boise has a proud tradition of welcoming refugees, and that should continue. My primary experience working with refugees has been teaching English to African refugees at a local elementary school. Their needs are often just like those of all Boiseans—they want safe neighborhoods, affordable housing, and safe routes to school for their children. I’m committed to ensuring Boise remains a city that delivers on those needs and continues to be a place where refugees can build stable, thriving lives as part of our community.
8. The current Mayor and City Council have publicly supported its LGBTQ+ residents. In your opinion, should that remain a city priority?
Yes. Boise must remain a safe and welcoming place for all Boiseans—regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. I’m unapologetically supportive of our LGBTQ+ community and will continue to lead in both word and deed to ensure Boise remains a city where everyone can live openly and authentically.
9. Who’s an unsung hero (a person, business, group or agency) in your district?
I’m a big fan of a new local small business, Common Ground Coffee, run by Sarah and Laurie on Ustick and Esquire. They’ve created a welcoming, walkable gathering place for neighbors in my district and a great example of the kind of small business that builds community.
10. What’s your favorite meal in Boise?
My guilty pleasure food is a mixed breakfast burrito at Los Betos on Fairview.
