Money talk: Idaho Falls Mayor Lisa Burtenshaw dives into the city budget

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – As the Idaho Falls City Council prepares to adopt its $393.5 million budget later this month, Idaho Falls Mayor Lisa Burtenshaw opened her office for an exclusive interview Tuesday.

She laid out some of the city’s main priorities in its Fiscal Year 2027 city budget.

“We have the library, we have the recreation, and we have parks, we have an airport, we have a sewer company, we have a power company," Burtenshaw said. "... We have all of those other things that we do for city residents, and so it is a massive undertaking, and it is a big budget.”

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Burtenshaw offered a sneak peak at several major projects coming to Idaho Falls.

"Widening of Rollandet, getting another North-South corridor is a big project for this next summer," she said. "We have Sandy Downs being able to get that land graded and irrigated using impact fees. … We want to start a [fire] training center, so we're going to get going on some of those initial plans. Then also, part of that Capital Improvement Plan includes upfitting of our fire apparatus and our EMS vehicles."

Additionally, this year, the city is adding two new training captains to the Fire Department and a new opioid response detective and dispatcher to the Police Department. 

“This year, primarily, it reflects an increase to our public safety budget," Burtenshaw said, "and then just generally being able to maintain the same kind of services we've been providing."

Burtenshaw says a place is waiting for those who are passionate about building the community.

"Start joining committees and commissions and boards speak to the departments," she invited. "Then pretty soon you start to realize maybe where your niche is or where you have a passion. It's the best way to get involved, because people who have passion and take their time to learn how the city works, they're really able to influence what happens at the city level.

You can provide public comment on the budget Thursday at 6:30 PM in the City Council Chambers in downtown Idaho Falls at 680 Park Avenue.