One-term city councilwoman hoping to become the next mayor of Idaho Falls

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is part of a series of profiles of the 2025 Idaho Falls mayoral candidates.

IDAHO FALLS – After four years on the Idaho Falls City Council, Lisa Burtenshaw is hoping to become the city’s next mayor.

The 51-year-old woman is one of three candidates vying for the position currently occupied by Mayor Rebecca Casper, who has announced she will not be seeking re-election for a fourth term.

In a conversation with EastIdahoNews.com, Burtenshaw praises Casper for “putting her heart and soul” into the city over the last 12 years and is grateful for her association with her on the council.

Burtenshaw cites growth as the primary reason for her candidacy. She was involved in establishing the city’s plan for future growth in 2021, which highlighted the amount of parks, police officers, firefighters and other amenities needed in a growing city. She was also involved in the implementation of impact fees.

RELATED | Lawsuit goes after Idaho Falls’ impact fees

As mayor, Burtenshaw wants to make sure the city follows through on implementing these services. She feels her experience and connections uniquely qualify her to help the city navigate “what comes next.”

“We want to make sure that the parks are built, that the streets are widened. We collect impact fees for streets to make sure that the fire stations are well equipped, that we continue to hire policemen to manage that same level of service,” Burtenshaw says. “It’s going to take a regional response to manage growth and make sure that we maintain that hometown feel of Idaho Falls.”

Amid these changes, Burtenshaw wants to ensure residents are kept in the loop and have input on what’s happening. If elected, she says her number one goal is accessibility.

“My number one goal is to make sure that people know that the mayor doesn’t work for the city. The mayor works for the people,” Burtenshaw says.

Burtenshaw was initially appointed to the city council in 2021 to replace Shelly Smede, who resigned from the position after four years in office.

RELATED | City of Idaho Falls names former District 91 trustee to fill vacant city council position

Her introduction into politics happened years earlier when she was elected in 2008 to serve as a trustee on the school board for Idaho Falls District 91. It’s a position she held for 10 years.

In between her time on the school board and her city council appointment, Burtenshaw started working on getting a new regulation softball field and baseball diamond for Idaho Falls High School. The project, now known as Frontier Fields, was unveiled to the public last fall.

RELATED | Frontier Fields hits it out of the park and officially opens for student athletes

The connections and relationships she formed with public officials for that project is what prompted her to apply for the city council position in May 2021.

“I wanted to work towards those same goals at a city level,” Burtenshaw says.

Burtenshaw was re-elected to the city council later that year.

Efforts to bring greater transparency to the budget is what she considers her greatest accomplishment over the last four years.

“This year during the budget session, people came in to testify and they understood the budget. I think it can get better. I want to see it get better,” says Burtenshaw.

It’s been rewarding for her to see the dedication of other council members and city employees and the love they have for their community.

With the exception of her college years and a few early childhood years, Burtenshaw has lived in Idaho Falls all her life. She attended Dora Erickson Elementary as a kid and graduated from Bonneville High School.

Burtenshaw has a degree in mechanical engineering from Brigham Young University. Her husband, Bryce, is a dentist at Family Dental Health Center. She manages the finances for her husband’s practice.

Burtenshaw says it would be an honor to serve as the city’s next mayor and she’s asking for your vote on Nov. 4.

“We want the city to be focused on excellent service for the residents and the business owners,” says Burtenshaw. “I want to be the person who says, ‘Let’s figure out how to do this together.’”

Visit her website to learn more.