Rachel Rose Isaacson, 28, works as a barista at South Side Walnut Café and serves as a pollinator ambassador with Cool Boulder. She graduated from Antioch College in 2019 with a degree in political economics and later earned a master’s in public administration and leadership (MPAL) from Ohio State University. Isaacson also served as treasurer for 2023 council candidate Aaron Gabriel Neyer. A renter, she has said she hopes to become Boulder’s first Gen Z councilmember, with her top priority being stronger support for city workers.
Endorsements: Boulder Area Labor Council, CLC and AFL-CIO and New Era Colorado
Answers to questionnaire:
Perspective and experience: What perspective or lived experience would you bring to city council, and how would it shape your approach to policy?
My civic journey began early, organizing and volunteering at 14, and by 17, drafting state legislation to protect LGBTQ+ youth in Ohio. That formative experience taught me the power of young people stepping into leadership, and it continues to shape how I approach public service. Since then, I have earned a Bachelor’s in Political Economics and a Master’s in Public Administration and Leadership, with specialized training in public budgeting, fiscal and policy analysis, and strategic resource management. These skills are essential for making responsible, transparent, and equitable decisions on City Council.
Before making Boulder my home, I worked in regenerative education, organizing internationally attended conferences that empowered communities to cultivate resilience in the face of economic, social, and environmental turbulence. Here in Boulder, I stay grounded in daily life advancing ecological stewardship as a Pollinator Ambassador with Cool Boulder, and connecting with neighbors every day as a barista at South Side Walnut Café.
I am running to be Boulder’s first Gen Z Council member not only to ensure my generation has a voice at the table, but to bring informed, systems-level thinking and collaborative leadership to address the challenges we face today and those ahead.
Camping ban: Should Boulder enforce its camping ban when the All Roads shelter is full? Please answer yes or no and explain.
No. No one should be legally punished simply because our city lacks adequate services or safe alternatives. In those moments, the responsibility is on us as a community to ensure people have legal and humane alternative places to be. At the same time, when shelter or services are available, I believe individuals should be accountable to the city’s current laws. Balancing compassion with accountability is essential, and the real solution lies in expanding services and creating pathways so no one is left without options.
Wildfire mitigation/home hardening: Should the city require wildfire mitigation and home hardening — such as a five-foot buffer of noncombustible material around the home, or banning wood fences and gates within eight feet of a home — for existing homes? Please answer yes or no and explain.
Yes. Wildfire risk is one of the greatest threats facing Boulder, and the areas at the highest risk could require mitigation and home hardening as a critical step in protecting lives, homes, and our community as a whole. That said, I believe these requirements must be paired with strong support systems so that the burden doesn’t fall unfairly on homeowners, especially those with limited resources. This means exploring subsidies, grants, and technical assistance to make compliance realistic and equitable.
As someone who has worked on resilience and ecological stewardship, I see this as both a safety measure and an opportunity to build smarter, more sustainable systems. Clear standards such as defensible space around structures and fire-resistant materials can drastically reduce community-wide risk. But enforcement must go hand in hand with education, collaboration, and financial support.
Ultimately, my approach is to treat wildfire mitigation not as an individual responsibility alone, but as a shared commitment to community safety.
Housing supply: Boulder needs thousands of new homes by 2032 to meet demand and keep rents and home prices from rising further out of reach. Yet projects often face cost overruns, community pushback or zoning hurdles. What specific steps would you take to address the city’s housing shortage?
Boulder’s housing shortage is one of the most urgent issues we face, and meeting the thousands of new homes needed by 2032 requires both decisive action and thoughtful collaboration. First, we must streamline approval processes for projects that meet our community’s affordability and sustainability goals. Delays and cost overruns not only discourage builders but also make housing more expensive. By improving efficiency while maintaining accountability, we can lower costs and get homes built faster.
Second, Boulder’s zoning needs to evolve. Allowing more diverse housing types, such as townhouses, triplexes, and accessory dwelling units, particularly along transit corridors and in walkable neighborhoods, can help us expand housing options while reducing sprawl and advancing our climate commitments.
Third, we need stronger affordability strategies. This includes expanding land banking, investing in community land trusts, and creating public-private-philanthropic partnerships to ensure new homes remain accessible for generations. Pairing these strategies with incentives for nonprofit and mission-driven developers can keep affordability at the center of our efforts.
Finally, community-oriented strategies are key. In my neighborhood near North Boulder Park, residents, housing activists, and developers worked together to integrate mixed housing types. The result is a vibrant, intergenerational community that shows how gentle, community-driven density can strengthen neighborhoods and support our local economy.
Council’s role on foreign affairs (and Gaza): Should the Boulder City Council take positions on foreign affairs? Regardless of your answer, what actions, if any, should the city council take in response to Israel’s war in Gaza and the related disruptions and demonstrations in council chambers (e.g., open comment rules, safety, hate speech, First Amendment considerations)?
While City Council’s primary responsibility is to serve the needs of our local community, I believe there are circumstances where discussing international affairs can be appropriate. Global events often intersect with local issues such as climate change, trade policies affecting local businesses, human rights concerns, or immigration, and City Council can play a role in expressing our community’s values and advocating for responsible, ethical policy.
Boulder is part of a global community, and international conflicts can and have reverberated deeply here. We cannot ignore the pain, fear, or anger felt by residents, and, we need to ensure that Council chambers remain safe and accessible for all.
In practice, this means upholding robust First Amendment protections during public comment while also maintaining that everyone has a chance to speak without intimidation or disruption.
Beyond managing open comment, our role is to foster dialogue, ensure community members are heard, and focus our policymaking on keeping Boulder inclusive and safe, especially in moments when global conflict magnifies local tensions.
Budget priorities: With sales tax growth slowing, the city manager imposed a hiring freeze this year and the city council faces tough trade-offs. The city also has an estimated $380 million capital maintenance backlog and uncertain federal funding. With limited dollars, what are your top priorities, and what would you cut or delay?
With slowing sales tax growth and a $380 million capital maintenance backlog, Boulder must make careful, transparent, and equitable budget decisions. My top priorities are maintaining (and improving!) essential city services, protecting our most vulnerable residents, and investing in long-term resilience. This includes ensuring public safety, housing stability, climate adaptation, and core infrastructure remain funded and functional.
At the same time, we need to take a hard look at how resources are allocated. I would prioritize projects that prevent higher long-term costs such as proactive infrastructure maintenance, wildfire mitigation, and flood resiliency over discretionary or deferrable capital projects. Strategic resource management, which I am trained in, requires not only balancing the budget but also considering the downstream impacts of cuts or delays.
I also believe the city should explore innovative cross-department partnerships and leverage nonprofit and philanthropic investment to meet community needs more cost-effectively. Increasing financial transparency is essential so residents can understand trade-offs and have confidence in Council decisions.
Tough choices are ahead, but with disciplined, accountable, and equity-minded budgeting, we can safeguard Boulder’s core services, protect residents, and invest in a resilient future without sacrificing our community’s quality of life.