A sentimental swearing-in ceremony at Boise City Council saw council members reflecting on their years of service.

Council members Colin Nash, Jordan Morales and Jimmy Hallyburton retained their seats in the November election and were sworn in Tuesday by Mayor Lauren McLean. Without any newcomers, council members spoke fondly on their personal connections.

Accompanied by his wife and kids, Council Member Colin Nash was sworn in for his second term and ending his tenure as the council president.

Nash previously took his political career to the Idaho Legislature, where he was elected twice to the District 16 seat in the Idaho House of Representatives. He stepped down at the beginning of his second term in 2024 to prioritize his city council obligations.

The council unanimously voted in support of now-Council President Meredith Stead taking Nash’s place.

“It is really humbling to know I’ve earned the trust of my fellow council members,” Stead said.

Stead, in turn, nominated Council Member Kathy Corless as the president pro tem.

“There’s this incredible bond that is shared here,” Stead said about the council.

The roles of president and pro tem are unpaid. The president typically completes 10 to 15 hours of additional work weekly, according to Nash.

Council member Luci Willits said the council’s leadership is “drastically different” from when she first joined in 2021, and commended the switch up in leadership.

“One of the things I think we forget about democracy is that we need change,” Willits said. “It’s really great when leaders get a chance to lead.”

HALLYBURTON ENTERS FINAL TERM

Accompanied by his partner Erin Anderson, Hallyburton was sworn in for a third term. The District 6 council member has represented northern Boise since 2020.

Hallyburton explained that council members have a choice of who they want to swear them in. For a third consecutive term, he chose McLean.

“Thank you for your leadership, thank you for your mentorship, and thank you for your friendship,” he said to McLean.

At Tuesday’s ceremony a notable figure was missing from his side — Idaho’s “Bluebird Man.”

Hallyburton’s grandfather, Al Larson, was well known for his preservation efforts and credited as creating safe spaces for birds in the Owyhee Mountains, including over 300 bluebird nest boxes. Larson passed away in the summer at the age of 103.

Hallyburton said this was his first time being sworn in without his grandfather. In Larson’s honor, council members wore bluebird pins, and Hallyburton wore his old bolo tie. He tearfully recalled the opportunity to honor Larson at his first swearing in.

“It was an incredible moment because I got to recognize somebody who had meant so much to me and had played such a large role in helping me grow,” Hallyburton said. “...The stories that I’d heard after 103 years of experience with other people, it sticks with me, and it reminds me of how important the work in serving your community is.”

MORALES CHAMPIONS DISTRICT 4

Speaking to the audience Tuesday, Morales praised the council’s progress on housing affordability, child care affordability and safe streets.

“While progress has been made, much work remains,” he said. “By taking this oath again, we renew our progress to listen more, work smarter and keep building a Boise where everyone can thrive.”

Representing District 4, encompassing southern Boise, Morales was sworn in for his second term on the council with his family by his side. Morales joined the city council in 2023 and became the first-ever District 4 representative.

Morales grew up in Boise and has lived in his district for 20 years.

“As a young person, I often heard people outside the valley speak as if Boise wasn’t the special place I knew it was,” he said.

In contrast to those perspectives, Morales referenced a famous quote from high-profile lawyer Clarence Darrow who visited Boise in 1906.

“Boise seemed like a bright green gem in a setting of blue. It is the capital of the State, with attractive public and private buildings, and a good library,” Darrow wrote. “Boise had a pride in its town and people and culture, and could rightly be called the Athens of the sage-brush.”