Grass ValleyNot a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Grass Valley City Council Election 2026

2 of 5 council seats are on the ballot, with 4 candidates running. Updated Oct 5, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check

Find your match: 2-question quizSee who is on your ballot

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22days to Nov 3

The candidates

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

All Grass Valley voters choose up to two of the four candidates for the two open council seats.

State voter registration deadline · Oct 19

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Candidates, positions and key dates in one email, sent now.

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Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

What the next council decides

01City finances1 sourced fact

Where it standsThe council declared a fiscal emergency in October 2023 and put Measure B on the March 2024 ballot.

What's on the tableThe next council will adopt budgets and decide how to fund city services.

  • On October 16, 2023 the City Council adopted by unanimous vote Resolution No. 2023-57 declaring a fiscal emergency. City of Grass Valley
02Housing and affordability2 sourced facts

Where it standsCandidates Scott Beesley and Bob Branstrom both name housing affordability as an issue on their campaign sites.

What's on the tableThe council will decide how the city handles new housing proposals and permitting.

  • Bob Branstrom's site says the city has a housing shortage and lists permit streamlining, manufactured housing and multi-family dwellings as ways to reduce building costs. Bob Branstrom campaign site
  • Scott Beesley's site calls for more affordable options while respecting the character of historic neighborhoods and downtown. Scott Beesley campaign site
03Wildfire readiness2 sourced facts

Where it standsSeveral candidates name wildfire preparation as a priority.

What's on the tableThe council will decide how the city supports fuel reduction, evacuation planning and neighborhood preparedness.

04City government access and appointments1 sourced fact

Where it standsPaul Wright's ballot statement raises City Hall service hours and public input on appointments.

What's on the tableThe next council will take up the appointment and City Hall service questions raised in Wright's statement.

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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. How should Grass Valley address its housing shortage?

  2. 2. What should the city's main approach to homelessness be?

Seat the councilSeat the Council →Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.New · How Grass Valley is runWho runs Grass Valley, and what it costsThe city manager earns $279,500. See council pay, whether the city is in the red, and where your property tax goes.

Key dates

The seat math

3 stay (not up this year): Jan Arbuckle, Joe Bonomolo, Tom Ivy2 on this ballot

5 council seats. The council decides by a 3-vote majority.

  • Grass Valley council members are elected at large to four-year terms in November of even-numbered years, and the council chooses the mayor from among its members. City of Grass Valley
  • The two seats on the November 3, 2026 ballot are those held by Hilary Hodge and Haven Caravelli. City of Grass Valley

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