BOISE, Idaho — As KTVB prepares to host an hour-long debate for the two primary candidates in Boise's mayoral race, we decided to ask you: What questions do you want answered by the potential next mayor-elect?
Incumbent Mayor Lauren McLean and retired police chief for the Boise Police Department (BPD), Mike Masterson, will be in the KTVB studio on Tuesday at 6 p.m. -- we will ask the candidates where they stand on hot-button issues, such as homelessness, housing and public safety.
The debate is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 24 at 6 p.m.. It can be viewed on Idaho's News Channel 7, KTVB.COM, KTVB+ streaming app and the KTVB YouTube channel.
For previous debates, KTVB prepared debate questions by gathering them from you, our viewers, via the emails and text messages submitted.
This year, we set up a camera downtown with a hot mic. Here are some of the questions and thoughts the people of Boise have when it comes to the 2023 Boise mayoral election:
Topic: Roadway construction
The Question: "My name is Mary. My question is, what are the plans for West State Street, especially near Wiley Lane? There are a series of Jersey barriers that are very difficult for bike riders or pedestrians. What's the main plan there?"
Topic: Local businesses
The Question: "I've been seeing a lot of franchise businesses and nationwide firms take hold in Boise. There's a lot of legacy businesses here. I think that this new shift could possibly price a lot of independent businesses out of the market. What's something that the city can do to make sure that we actually have local brick and mortar?"
Topic: Affordable housing
The Question: "How are the mayoral candidates are going to approach affordable housing?"
Topic: Growth and expansion
The Question: "Hi, I'm Christina Patterson. I'm running for city council in Eagle, but I have a question for the Boise mayoral candidates. I'm curious how, if at all, they'll be able to work with Eagle on growth. What plans we can do together to help maximize growth and maybe minimize it?"
Topic: Gentrification
The Question: "What do we need to do as citizens of the state to get the state to relax their hold over Boise to help us with better tenant laws and better income? We have too much gentrification, way too many Airbnb's."
Topic: Idaho transplants
The Question: "I want to know how the mayoral candidates would seek to retain the Californians who've come to Boise."
Topic: Traffic
The Question: "My name is Jade. First off, congratulations on becoming a mayoral candidate. That's a great career move. I just want to know what you're going to do about all the traffic in the downtown area. I understand that the construction and the traffic go hand-in-hand. But I just was wondering if maybe the construction could just happen at night?"
Topic: Downtown parking
The Question: "What's your solution to the parking situation down here? There are tons of new residential buildings. I went down to City Hall the other day as a resident of downtown Boise, and they didn't offer me any solutions or any parking passes for being a resident down here. Also, business owners out here have employees that need to be able to park downtown. What's the solution with parking? What's the word with parking? You simplify that one."
There you have it, mayoral candidates, get your answers ready -- as (some of) the people of Boise have spoken.
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