Jeff Aldridge is running on a platform of shifting city priorities away from high density housing to affordable home ownership, including starter homes. He believes that high density housing is creating a situation where the infrastructure of the city cannot keep up. He also wants people to be able to own homes rather than rent because that is the main source of generational wealth for families. This means putting an emphasis on starter homes as well as larger home building. He says that the current Imagine I.F. zoning plan emphasizes pedestrian and bike infrastructure over roads, even though less than 1% of Idaho Falls rides a bike or walks to work. He wants to prioritize practical solutions rather than ideological solutions and current residents and businesses over future residents and businesses. Aldridge’s background is in the technology industry. Find out more at Jeff4IF.com
Lisa Burtenshaw, a lifelong Idaho Falls resident, raised her family in the area and prides herself on being accessible to the community. She’s spent the last four years in city government, following time on the school board, and wants to use her experience and connections to support Idaho Falls’ growth plan. Burtenshaw values close ties with residents and maintains strong relationships with Bonneville County, local businesses, and the city council.
She supports the city’s strategic plan, which places housing near amenities to reduce traffic and pressure on services like snow plowing. Growth is managed in stages: neighborhoods for houses, low-density apartments in set areas, and high-density housing in designated zones. “It’s going to look different,” she says, “but I don’t want it to feel different,” emphasizing the importance of community connectivity.
Burtenshaw believes in a free market guided by zoning, wants 65th South preserved as a key corridor, and opposes expanding residential zones into agricultural land. On taxes, she notes that residential properties carry most of the levy burden and proposes easing it by annexing nearby commercial and industrial areas to expand the tax base.
For more information go to LisaBurtenshaw.com
