Newly elected mayor, 47, dies after medical emergency during town hall speech

NAMPA, Idaho (KIVI) - The town of Nampa, Idaho, is in shock.

The city’s mayor was speaking at a town hall gathering on Wednesday when he collapsed and died.

On Thursday, city leaders called an emergency meeting to address how to move forward.

Flowers now sit inside Nampa City Hall in the lobby, and at Mayor Rick Hogaboam’s seat in council chambers as city leaders begin navigating the loss of the mayor.

The 47-year-old died Wednesday night during a town hall gathering in the neighboring town of Eagle. Hogaboam was speaking when he collapsed. The mayor of Eagle, a former firefighter, began administering CPR. Hogaboam was later pronounced dead at the scene.

According to the Ada County Coroner’s Office, he died of a condition called cardiac tamponade, where fluid build ups around the heart,

Thursday, city leaders gathered to focus on the city’s immediate next steps, including a resolution that allows Council President David Bills to maintain city operations until a new mayor is appointed.

“And we have to have somebody that does the day-to-day check signing, that kind of stuff, so it’s important that we pass that resolution today,” Councilman Dale Reynold said.

That keeps Bills in his role as council president while also filling the immediate needs of the mayor’s office and helping keep city business moving.

But Thursday’s action was only the first step.

The larger question now is who will ultimately fill the seat and how the council gets there.

“So, we anticipate as a council weighing out the options ahead. We don’t have a road map of exactly how to go forward, but we’re going to be thinking about individuals who have been in leadership in city government. We’re going to be looking at who we think might be able to serve,” Bills said.

Councilwoman Natalie Jangula said she hopes to have something concrete in place by the end of April and believes council members can come together on that decision, even in the middle of grief.

“As far as moving forward, I think that the constituents can know and have trust and faith in the fact that we are prayerfully seeking guidance for this and that we will come together,” Jangula said.

The city of Nampa has a public memorial for Mayor Hogaboam set for March 31.