Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Bentonville City Council Election 2026

3 of 8

council seats up

3 contests

6 candidates

Updated Oct 4, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check →

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

City Council Ward 1 Position 1 · 1 seat

Austin BryanCertified Financial Planner and Principal/COO at HoganTaylor. He has served on the Plan Bentonville Steering Committee, the Parks & Recreation Advisory Board and the Mayor's Community Council.3sourced
Beckie SebaIncumbentBentonville City Council member for Ward 1, Position 1, the seat she is defending.3sourced

City Council Ward 1 Position 2 · 1 seat

City Council Ward 2 Position 1 · 1 seat

Council members are elected citywide to seats that each represent a ward, and this year voters choose one seat in Ward 1, the special-election seat in Ward 1 and one seat in Ward 2.

1 note on these statements

Aubrey Patterson (Ward 3, Position 1) and Octavio Sanchez (Ward 4, Position 1) appear in the county filings with no opponent, so no contest for their seats is shown in this guide. Herald Leader · Aug 12, 2026

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

Bill BurckartCouncilmember, Ward 3, Position 2; term ends 20284sourced Holly HookCouncilmember, Ward 4, Position 2; term ends 20284sourced Chris SooterCouncilmember, Ward 2, Position 2; term ends 20282sourced

Officeholders' pages compare what they've said with how they've voted, with sources.

Start here

Match quiz2 questions · answers stay on your phone Seat the CouncilPick winners, see the council What council decidesRezoning near established neighborhoods, Impact fees on new development, Wastewater capacity and development fees Key datesDeadlines and vote centers

Next date

Voter registration deadline

Mon, Oct 5, 2026

TodayAll key dates

What the next council decides

Rezoning near established neighborhoods

Where it standsIn September 2026 the council voted 5-3 to deny rezoning 405 N.W. Fifth St. to Neighborhood Node mixed-use zoning, after the Planning Commission voted 4-2 to recommend approval.

What's on the tableThe next council will decide further rezoning requests, including how to weigh neighbor comments against the city's Community Code.

The council voted 5-3 on Sept. 8, 2026 to deny rezoning less than six-tenths of an acre at 405 N.W. Fifth St. from single-family residential to T4.2 Neighborhood Node. Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette · Sep 8, 2026
Eleven residents spoke at the council meeting, all urging the council to deny the rezoning. Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette · Sep 8, 2026
Planning and Community Development Director Tyler Overstreet said Neighborhood Node is the most intense zoning allowed in urban neighborhoods under the city's standard review process. Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette · Sep 8, 2026

Impact fees on new development

Where it standsA consultant presented a study of updated parks, library, police and fire impact fees on Sept. 8, 2026; the council took no vote.

What's on the tableThe next council will decide whether and how to adopt updated impact fees and whether to add water impact fees.

The council did not vote on impact fees on Sept. 8, 2026 but gave feedback on the TischlerBise study. Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette · Sep 8, 2026
The study's proposed single-family detached fee is $3,360, a $485 decrease from the current schedule, and its proposed retail nonresidential fee is $1,369 per 1,000 square feet, a $216 increase. Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette · Sep 8, 2026
Bentonville does not currently have water impact fees, and a separate water impact fee study was expected by the council's Sept. 22 meeting. Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette · Sep 8, 2026

Wastewater capacity and development fees

Where it standsThe council authorized a $239 million loan agreement with the Alice L. Walton Foundation on Dec. 22, 2025, and wastewater development fees took effect Jan. 22, 2026.

What's on the tableThe next council will oversee the loan repayment and the wastewater system expansion funded by these fees.

The council voted on Dec. 22 to authorize an agreement with the Alice L. Walton Foundation for a $239 million loan to expand the capacity of the city's wastewater collection system. Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette · Sep 8, 2026
The council also approved one-time wastewater development fees to repay the loan, and the fees took effect Jan. 22. Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette · Sep 8, 2026

Central and Battlefield development agreement

Where it standsThe council approved a development agreement for the Central and Battlefield project 5-2 in April 2026, with Council Members Acree and Hook voting no.

What's on the tableThe next council will oversee how traffic and infrastructure for the project are handled under the agreement.

Resolution 4-14-26 P approving the development agreement passed 5-2 on April 14, 2026, with Acree and Hook voting no. Bentonville City Council minutes, April 14, 2026 · Apr 14, 2026
The minutes record council members noting that the developer agreed to help fund infrastructure issues in the area. Bentonville City Council minutes, April 14, 2026 · Apr 14, 2026
The minutes record Council Member Hook saying critical aspects of the agreement remained unresolved, including traffic solutions along the 8th Street corridor and Battlefield roadway. Bentonville City Council minutes, April 14, 2026 · Apr 14, 2026

Downtown zoning and the Community Code

Where it standsOn April 14, 2026 the council adopted the Bentonville Community Code and zoning map and rezoned several lots near downtown from R-1 to DN-3.

What's on the tableThe next council will apply the new code and downtown overlay districts to future rezoning and development requests.

Ordinance 2026-75 adopting the Bentonville Community Code passed 7-0 on April 14, 2026. Bentonville City Council minutes, April 14, 2026 · Apr 14, 2026
Ordinances 2026-70 and 2026-71, rezoning lots on Lockheed Street from R-1 to DN-3, each passed 6-1 with Hook voting no. Bentonville City Council minutes, April 14, 2026 · Apr 14, 2026

Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

1. How should the council handle rezoning requests for more intense zoning on single-family blocks?
2. Who should pay for the roads, water and sewer that new growth requires?

Seat the Council →

Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.

Key dates

Voter registration deadlineBenton County ClerkOct 5, 2026
Early voting beginsBenton County ClerkOct 19, 2026
Early voting ends (Monday, Nov. 2, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.)Benton County ClerkNov 2, 2026
Election dayBenton County ClerkNov 3, 2026

The seat math

3 stay (not up this year): Bill Burckart, Holly Hook, Chris Sooter3 on this ballot

8 council seats. The council decides by a 5-vote majority.

Council members are elected at-large but represent wards, with two members from each ward. City of Bentonville
Council members must live in the ward they represent. City of Bentonville
The council meets on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month unless a meeting is cancelled. City of Bentonville
No write-in candidates are allowed for municipal office. Benton County Clerk

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