Derek James Smith
Elections and appointments
Personal
Contact
Derek James Smith is running for election to the Boise City Council to represent Seat 2 in Idaho. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025.[source]
Smith completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Derek James Smith was born in Port Clinton, Ohio. He graduated from St. John's Jesuit High School. He earned a bachelor's degree from The Ohio State University in 2011. His career experience includes working in a family-run ice cream freezer small business.[1]
Elections
2025
See also: City elections in Boise, Idaho (2025)
General election
The general election will occur on November 4, 2025.
Endorsements
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2025
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Derek James Smith completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Smith's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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My focus on eliminating political red tape to streamline housing development and reduce bureaucratic delays and costs. My approach emphasizes pragmatic policies that increase housing supply and introduce innovative transportation options to ease congestion and enhance mobility. New AI solutions can reduce administrative bloat and save the pax payer money. Home ownership is under attack by a myriad of factors, we must meet the challenge with new tactics and ideas.
- If we don't address the housing crisis with the attention it deserves, the youth will never be able to afford a home and our senior citizens will eventually be priced out of their home. As homeownership falls for those under 35, we're seeing an unprecedented rise in people over the age of 55 becoming homeless. We are on the wrong path.
- We need to unleash the creativity and ingenuity of our builders. True innovation comes from the middle class, by tying their hands behind their back with overcomplicated regulations, we are truing the dream of homeownership - into a nightmare.
- As a city, we must declare a state of emergency when it comes to home building. The current half measures implemented by the city, have created whole new problems. We are sacrificing our children's dreams of owning a home, and our parents dream of staying in their home, in order to appease bureaucratic processes.
Intelligent reduction of the red-tape that is tying down the American dream.
This office anchors local democracy-it's where state laws hit the ground, shaping Boise's zoning, budgets, and services daily. Unlike state or federal roles, it's hyper-local: council votes directly impact our schools, roads, and housing stock, with real legal weight to enforce ordinances. This role is important for balancing growth without chaos, making Idaho's system actually work for everyday folks.
Theodore Roosevelt inspires me. His relentless drive to confront challenges head-on, from busting trusts to preserving millions of acres for national parks, sets a standard for bold, principled leadership. I admire his ability to balance progress with preservation, always putting the public good first. His example pushes me to tackle Boise’s housing crisis with fearless, practical solutions that serve everyone, not just the loudest voices.
Effective leadership demands unwavering integrity, active listening, and decisive action grounded in common sense. Efficiency and accountability must guide every decision-no wasted resources at City Hall. And yes, a dash of bold, principled vision, inspired by Theodore Roosevelt, to confront Boise's real challenges.
Serving as a fiduciary for the city's money-no blank checks for bloated projects-and pushing smart growth to fix housing supply. Protecting residents' quality of life while cutting red tape that stifles progress, all with transparency and fiscal discipline.
I want to leave Boise with a housing market that works for everyone—more homes built, prices down, no one priced out. A city that grows smart, not sprawling into chaos, with neighborhoods still feeling like home. And a City Hall that runs lean, transparent, like a business you’d trust.
I remember my father calling my mother, to tell her he was OK, when he got off of an airplane. The date was September 11th, 2001.
My first job was as a camp counselor when I was 16. I held it for 2 summers while in high-school.
Basic Economics by Thomas Sowell. It cuts all the academic fluff and just shows-with math, history, and brutal honesty-how government keeps meddling until prices skyrocket.
Atticus Finch. He's unflinching about the truth, stands up when everyone else folds, and fights for fairness even when it costs him socially.
I've struggled with addiction-but I'm five and a half years sober now. In that fight I learned accountability and responsibility aren't buzzwords: they're two sides of the same coin. Without holding someone to the line, you'll never teach them how to stand. So whether it's zoning cheats or overdoses on the Greenbelt, no more excuses-no more revolving doors. The council needs to demand both, every time.
One-council has veto power over any land-use deal the mayor signs off on, but we rarely use it. That means I could stop bad zoning swaps before they balloon into neighborhood eyesores. Quietly, we appoint most of the boards-the parks board, the library board-so you end up picking who runs half the city without a vote.
No-previous experience in politics often just breeds institutionalized thinking that's genuinely harmful to residents. Outside perspective means outside-the-box solutions, not recycled excuses.
Sharp negotiation, airtight financial scrutiny, and straightforward communication are essential. They let you cut deals, spot waste, and actually tell neighbors why you're changing the map. Without them, you're just another suit with a clipboard.
We're the ones green-lighting construction and increasing housing supply. We can eliminate red tape so builders can actually add homes instead of waiting years for permits.
A voter shared something I'll never forget: his mom-who'd owned her West End bungalow outright-got priced out after the city dragged its feet on density. Now she's bunking with him, and yeah, he loves having her close, but every time they walk past her old place-turned-Airbnb, he chokes up. Forty years of savings, gone to taxes and fees.
Helping other men embrace recovery and lead fulfilling lives.
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See also
External links
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on September 27, 2025
