City of Boise Legislative Priorities 2025

The 2026 Legislative Session commences on Monday, January 12. In preparation for the upcoming session, the City of Boise’s Government Affairs team has identified the following legislative issues of interest to support further advancement of the city’s strategic priorities. 

As the 2026 session commences, staff will continue to provide weekly updates on top legislative priorities for the city.  

Advancing Geothermal Energy Infrastructure

The City of Boise proudly operates the nation's largest direct-heat geothermal system, providing heat to over 90 buildings throughout downtown Boise. As we see growing interest from business owners, developers and residents, the expansion of our geothermal system is a vital strategy for meeting our community's energy needs. To effectively respond to this increased demand and facilitate system growth, the city is seeking an exemption for Low-Temperature Geothermal (LTG) systems to operate outside a water right only when it is re-injected, and the water is not consumed — a practice the city already rigorously maintains. This would enable Boise’s geothermal system to expand in response to business demand while we continue to monitor and protect the aquifer health. We are seeking legislative support for this critical change so that more businesses can access this important, local and natural energy source.

Affordable Housing

The City of Boise’s remains committed to addressing housing affordability, specifically to create more homes priced at Boise budgets and to preserve existing affordable homes for both homeowners and renters alike. We seek to partner with the State to jointly address the state’s housing needs and will continue to engage with the Land Use and Housing Study Committee regarding proactive legislation aimed at increasing housing supply across the state. As the Legislature convenes in January, we encourage lawmakers to prioritize creating additional financial tools that could unlock critical development across Idaho.

• State Investments: Continue appropriating funds in the State’s workforce housing trust fund which would provide critical gap financing for developers who are wanting to construct affordable housing in any community throughout the state.
• Tax Incentives: Consider creating additional tax incentives – either tax credits or exemptions – that would offer developers another key tool to engage in the affordable housing market and increase available units across many Idaho communities.

Support City Services

At the city, we strive to provide reliable public services driven by the voices and needs of our residents. To do so, we’ll be tracking legislation that aims to impact important city functions or services, such as:

• Municipal budget authority and property tax allowances to ensure that the city is able to fully fund all of its public programs such as public safety personnel, wastewater infrastructure, and clean parks.
• Transportation investments that ensure safe streets, affordable public transportation access, and a renewed commitment to pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure.
• Community programs and partner organizations that make our communities vibrant and our businesses diverse to ensure Boise is a city for everyone.