Passing the Torch: Mayor Casper's Reflection on 12 Years in Office

By Mark S. Young

Published November 11, 2025 at 10:10 AM MST

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Mayor Rebecca Casper is stepping down after 12 years. Under her stewardship, Idaho Falls earned the title of “America’s Best-Performing Small City” on the Milken Institute Best-Performing Cities Index in 2021, 2023, and 2024. On the eve of the 2025 election, Mayor Casper offers her reflection on the importance of understanding the fundamentals of federalism, the impact of bold collaborations, and the unsung heroes of municipal success: the public works crews, city planners, sanitation workers, emergency responders, and the administrative staff.

Biography:
Rebecca Casper was re-elected to a third term as Mayor of Idaho Falls in November 2021, in a citywide election. Idaho Falls is a city of roughly 67,000 residents located on the banks of Idaho’s Snake River. Idaho Falls is the largest city east of Idaho’s capital and follows the strong mayor model. With 11 departments, six enterprise funds, utilities and an annual budget of approximately $333 million, Idaho Falls is one of the most complex cities in the state.
Prior to her election, Mayor Casper taught university-level courses in American government and state and local governance. She earned her B.A. and M.A. degrees from BYU in Utah and a Ph.D. in political science from UC-Berkeley. Before that, she worked as a research associate at the Brookings Institution in Washington D.C.
Under Mayor Casper’s leadership, Idaho Falls was ranked the best-performing small city in America by the 2021, 2023 and 2024 Milken Institute Best-Performing Cities Indexes. The honor recognized the area’s high-tech industry presence, which drove job growth. The city has also focused on connectivity and housing.
At the state level, Mayor Casper serves as a Vice President of the Association of Idaho Cities and is a longtime member of Idaho’s LINE Commission charged with promoting nuclear energy opportunities for Idaho. She also serves on the Regence Blue Shield of Idaho Board. In 2016 and in 2020, she received the Idaho Business Review’s Women of the Year Award.
Nationally, Mayor Casper serves as Vice Chair of the Energy Communities Alliance, advocating for Eastern Idaho’s energy and environmental clean-up interests. In 2016, Mayor Casper was selected as a participant in Governing Magazine’s Women in Government Leadership Program.
In the local community and Eastern Idaho region, Mayor Casper serves on numerous additional boards and commissions.
Mayor Casper has raised four children. All are at the graduate university level or are in the workforce. They enjoy cooking, eating, debating, teasing each other, and solving the world’s problems in the wee hours.