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!
Morales is unchallenged in his bid for a second term representing District 4 and East Boise. Luckily, he was still kind enough to fill out our survey.
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?
The cost of purchasing or renting a home in Boise has increased dramatically over the past ten years while new home construction is not meeting projected needs. Many Boiseans have become overburdened by housing costs and among many resulting issues of that, the potential is limited for generations of Boiseans to continue living in the community they love and near their families. While continuing to pursue grants and public private partnerships to build truly affordable housing for those making less than the area median income, the City of Boise must continue to address the market rate housing issue with further action to make it easier and quicker to build more homes of all kinds throughout the city.
2. How would you describe the City of Boise’s current relationship with the Idaho Legislature, and how would you work to change it?
The current relationship has room for improvement and like any relationship, communication is profoundly important because it builds trust and enhances understanding which helps to prevent misunderstandings and resolve conflicts. I trust City of Boise Governmental Affairs staff to continue being an important part of this effort and would like to play a more active role as a council member in lobbying for the things that will help protect wellness and quality of life for all of our neighbors.
3. What is a transportation issue in your district that you’d like to tackle during your term?
Significant road improvement concepts have been adopted for streets like Nez Perce and Linden in District 4 however along with other efforts like signalized crossings at Malad and Federal Way they remain buried on the list of priorities for limited ACHD funding. For these streets in need of safer infrastructure now, I'll continue pushing for cost effective interim solutions like new paint, plastic candlesticks for medians or bulb outs, radar speed signs, crossing flags, etc.
4. What is the city not doing about housing that you think it should be doing?
Communities across the country continue to push the needle in their responses to the burden of increased home prices. Things Boise should also be doing include: changing building code to allow for single stair housing at 5 or 6 stories tall in proper zones, allow the market to make decisions on parking needs for projects on transit corridors, consider the reduction of minimum lot sizes, allow housing by right on church properties, and speeding up the townhome development process along with allowing them by right in more zones.
5. Do you support the open spaces and water levy? Why or why not?
Yes! Our region faces record wildfire risks, degraded air quality, and habitat loss while our growing population increases usage of our river, foothills, and parks. Without renewed funding, we risk losing opportunities to build new pathways, expand parks in underserved areas, and protect clean water. Building on what we achieved in 2001 and 2015, we can extend those impacts to new parts of the city, strengthen wildfire resilience, protect wildlife, enhance water quality, and expanding access to nature. Together, we can safeguard Boise’s beauty, resilience, and health for generations to come.
6. How do you stand out from your competition?
While I had two initial competitors file for the 2023 campaign season, this 2025 season there were not any other candidates that ended up filing for this race.
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?
Boise’s long standing commitment to welcoming refugees is a strength. I want our city to continue celebrating those who’ve built new lives here, sharing their stories of resilience, and recognizing the wonderful role they now play in our community as friends, neighbors, and leaders. We should keep supporting events like World Refugee Day and ensure inclusion and representation for refugee communities across city programs and initiatives.
8. The current Mayor and City Council have publicly supported its LGBTQ+ residents. In your opinion, should that remain a city priority?
Yes. The city should continue to publicly support marginalized communities until everyone is afforded the same rights. When I testified in support of continuing to fly the Progress Pride flag, I noted that while states like Utah acted to protect LGBTQ+ neighbors a decade ago from discrimination, Idaho has not and has moved backward by passing resolutions calling for the overturn of same-sex marriage. Boise must continue to lead with inclusion, fairness, and respect for civil liberties.
9. Who’s an unsung hero (a person, business, group or agency) in your district?
A J Balukoff is my unsung hero in District 4. His humble and enduring commitment to service has strengthened Boise deeply, serving on countless boards in education, the arts, healthcare and more throughout our community alongside service in his church and advocacy as a gubernatorial candidate. I'm inspired by how his continued education changed his life and how he worked through other adversities to find success in business but more importantly with his family. I’m grateful for his mentorship and support over the years. His lifelong investment in people and ideas reflects the best of Boise’s spirit: steady, generous, curious, compassionate and focused on helping others succeed.
10. What’s your favorite meal in Boise?
The Percy Potatoes and Skirt Steak at The Percy
