Horseshoe BendNot a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Horseshoe Bend Mayor & City Council Election 2026

8 of 8 council seats are on the ballot, with 19 candidates running. Updated Oct 21, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check

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Nov 3Election Day

How to vote · 11 days left

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Election day (Nov 3): the election office's notice

These links go to official state and county election sites. Hours and rules differ by state; your election office has the final word.

The candidates

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

Voters elect the mayor and all eight council seats, Positions 1 and 2 in each of four wards; each position is a separate contest.

Election day · Nov 3

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Also on your Nov 3 ballot

We research city races only. For these races, go to the state's official guide or a nonpartisan one.

Official voter lookupState voter guideVote411 (League of Women Voters)

Districts come from 2020 Census blocks and the district maps for this election. Your address decides your districts.

What the next council decides

01The $80 amenity fee4 sourced facts

Where it standsOrdinance 2025-02, passed in February 2025, charges property owners $80 per lot each year, and more than 100 owners were summoned to court over unpaid fees in 2026.

What's on the tableWhether to keep, change or repeal the amenity fee, and how to pay for the lakes, dams and golf course it funds.

  • Ordinance 2025-02, passed by the Horseshoe Bend City Council in February 2025, charges every property owner $80 per lot each year. KAIT · May 5, 2026
  • The money is meant to fund upkeep of the lakes, dams and golf course the city took over from a now-dissolved improvement district. KAIT · May 5, 2026
  • More than 100 property owners were summoned to Izard County District Court over the fee in May 2026. KAIT · May 5, 2026
  • The city's website says Parks and Recreation fees were due June 30, 2025, and late notices were mailed as of August 29, 2025. City of Horseshoe Bend
02Backyard chickens and ducks2 sourced facts

Where it standsA city ordinance on the November 3 ballot would allow the regulated keeping of chickens and ducks within city limits.

What's on the tableIf voters approve it, how the council and city staff enforce the new poultry rules.

  • The Backyard Poultry Regulation and Animal Ordinance Modernization Act is on the Horseshoe Bend ballot. KAIT · Oct 12, 2026
  • The ordinance would amend the city code to allow the regulated keeping of domesticated poultry, including chickens and ducks, within city limits. KAIT · Oct 12, 2026
03Mayor and council roles2 sourced facts

Where it standsIn 2025 the council voted that the mayor may observe committee meetings but is not a voting member of any committee except Finance.

What's on the tableHow the next mayor and council divide authority over committees and city business.

  • The city council voted that the mayor can observe committee meetings but is not a voting member of any committee, except the Finance committee. KAIT · Sep 22, 2025
  • The council directed committees to select their own chairpersons. KAIT · Sep 22, 2025
04Growth and new business2 sourced facts

Where it standsThe city describes itself as a small town facing the challenges of growth, and several candidates call for new investment.

What's on the tableHow the city approaches new business, commercial property and its Bills of Assurance.

1 note on these statements

Horseshoe Bend Forward, a campaign website paid for by Pat Gill for City Council, supports Eric Graetz for mayor and eight council candidates: Nona Hayden, Cody A. Byrd, Mike Dezenzo, Beth Daugherty, Mike Mead, Gabriel Decker, Maria Egbert and Pat Gill. Horseshoe Bend Forward (campaign site paid for by Pat Gill for City Council): home

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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. 1. What should the city do about the $80 annual amenity fee?

  2. 2. How should the city approach new business and investment?

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

Key dates

The seat math

0 stay (not up this year): 8 on this ballot

8 council seats plus a mayor who doesn't vote on council items. The council decides by a 5-vote majority.

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