I serve to ensure that Meridian remains a safe community built around families.
Robert Simison
A Brief Introduction to Meridian's Mayor
Meet Mayor Robert Simison
Robert was born and raised in the Pocatello area and is a graduate of Whitman College where he majored in history and found his passion for public service. He has spent his professional career working for high-profile elected officials at the local and national level - advancing policy priorities and working to meet the needs of constituents by delivering exceptional services to the public.
During his first term as Mayor, Robert has worked tirelessly for the community keeping City operations open for business and prioritizing the needs of public safety. He has pushed to accelerate needed transportation improvements such as the Linder Road overpass which is currently in design.
Prior to his first term, Robert has served as a member of the city’s Leadership Team and his efforts helped lead to the rebuilding of the Meridian Road Interchange, creation of the city’s first Strategic Plan, and a vote by residents to expand the City Council from four seats to six.
He has been active in the Meridian Chamber of Commerce, volunteered as a coach for youth soccer and baseball leagues, and often gets involved in community issues.
Robert and his wife Jenny, along with their three children, Ethan, Natalie, and Ryan, live in south Meridian and enjoy skiing together throughout Idaho each winter.
Meridian is all about family. We pride ourselves on being the premier community to raise our families, which is reflected in our investment in our city parks and emphasis on public safety. Our focus is on meeting the needs of families, which means having job opportunities so people can work and live here. Meridian is a safe community where grandparents want to move to be closer to their family. It’s where the family unit and family values are strong that makes the community as a whole strong. I serve to ensure that Meridian remains a safe community built around families.
Growth is here. And growth is good and healthy for the economy and region when done correctly. But it must be responsible. As we have grown for the last couple of decades some infrastructure gaps in our community have been created that we need to address so we can remain connected and thriving.
We need to grow responsibly together as a community. Our vision is to be a premier, while maintaining our small-town feel that is so important to those who call Meridian home. Many have worked hard to maintain this balance, which is why listening to our residents and following the Comprehensive Plan updated in 2019 is so important.
At the same time, we need to address traffic and our roads to make it safer and easier for the more than 125,000 people who live in Meridian today to get from point A to point B. This will require improved roads, connected sidewalks, expanded pathways, accessible libraries, and schools that are not overcrowded.
I believe leadership is action, and I’m an achiever. As your Mayor I take on the responsibility for all aspects of Meridian in order to meet the expectations of the community related to roads, schools and more. Together we can take action to address the challenges we face and give residents a greater voice in our City.
I am grateful for the opportunity to serve you in this role. Together we will keep our family values strong and make sure we grow responsibly as a community.