Boise City Charter

When Boise City was first established in 1863, residents needed a set of rules and policies to determine how the new city would be governed. In 1866, the Idaho Territorial Legislature bestowed a charter on Boise, which described and defined the organization, authority and powers of the city government. Boise city government operated under this charter for nearly 100 years, with amendments as needed. In the 1950's, the charter's limitations started to create challenges for the city, and in 1961 it was temporarily repealed.

During the 1950s, the population within Boise's city limits stalled, while the surrounding areas and suburbs grew rapidly. Under city charter rules, it was difficult for Boise to annex and incorporate territory outside of city limits, which made long-term planning, development, and zoning much more difficult. People living just outside city limits did not pay taxes to support city services they used, such as park maintenance or water treatment. Boise Mayor Robert L. Day, who served from 1959-1961, pushed to fix these issues which ultimately led to the repeal of the charter in 1961. 

After the repeal of the charter, Boise was subject to the general laws of the state of Idaho governing cities and could more easily expand city limits and establish services in the suburbs. Between 1960 and 1965, the city's total area nearly doubled, and the official population increased from roughly 34,000 to 63,000. The resulting growth also led to the declaration of Boise as a Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area in 1963.