IDAHO, USA — City leadership changed Tuesday night on Jan. 2 for Meridian, Caldwell and Nampa. Several new members, elected in November, were sworn in as councilmembers.
In Caldwell, city councilmembers welcomed Mike Dittenber to the dias.
"I've been attending these meetings for several years," he said, "just because I've had a fond interest in the development of the City of Caldwell and like to know what's going on. So, I feel right at home being here."
In Nampa, David Bills was appointed by Nampa Mayor Debbie Kling and confirmed on Tuesday. His seat was recently vacated by Natalie Jangula. Jangula was elected to District 2 in the recent November election.
There was some controversy around how Kling appointed Bills.
Applications for qualified Nampa residents who live in Council District 3 were accepted through early December, and a review committee interviewed three applicants. David Bills was the committee's final recommendation, according to a press release.
Dale Reynolds and Sebastian Griffin were sworn in as well. Griffin, 23, said he is the youngest council member elected in City of Nampa history.
"The decisions I make tonight, and for the next four years, I'm going to live through, my kids are gonna live through, my grandkids are gonna live through here in Nampa," he said. "So, make sure to be in tune with the constituents and to be sure that I leave Nampa a better place than when I got here. That's always the goal."
Meridian swore in two returning councilmembers for another term and two new members to council — Anne Little Roberts, who previously served on council from 2016 to 2019, and Doug Taylor.
"My first goal is to continue the great work that has been done before us," Taylor said. "I [also] really want to tackle smart growth in a way that's affordable, that doesn't burden taxpayers but yet helps us to accomplish the goals that we have in terms of long-term investments and public safety."
Meridian Mayor Robert Simison was also sworn in for another term.
Several new councilmembers said they want to prioritize helping their cities grow responsibly and support first responders. Boise and Eagle will swear their new councils in on Jan. 9.
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