BardstownNot a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Bardstown Mayor & City Council Election 2026

6 of 6 council seats are on the ballot, with 10 candidates running. Updated Oct 5, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check

Not sure who to vote for? Answer 4 questions and see which candidates agree with you, and why.

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Nov 3Election Day

How to vote · 11 days left

Find where to voteCheck your registration
No-excuse early voting begins (Oct 29): 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.

Your houseWhat does your Bardstown house pay?A Bardstown house at the typical market value ($203,500) pays about $7,900 a year. Enter your address for your own number: property tax from the county's record, water, trash and energy, and the money dates ahead.

The candidates

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

Voters pick one mayor and up to six council members citywide; all six council seats and the mayor are on the November 3, 2026 ballot.

No-excuse early voting begins · Oct 29

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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

01Annexation east of the city4 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council has adopted annexation ordinances for Rowan Hills/Parkview and East Bardstown Phase I and, in 2026, moved ahead on East Bardstown Phase II.

What's on the tableWhether and where the city extends its limits further, and what services it takes on.

02Property tax rate2 sourced facts

Where it standsThe city kept its property tax rate at 16.1 cents per $100 of valuation for 2026-27, the same as since 2024.

What's on the tableWhether to keep, raise or lower the rate in each year's tax-rate ordinance.

03Borrowing for aquatic center, police HQ and city hall3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council authorized about $25.68 million in general obligation bonds in May 2026.

What's on the tableHow the city manages the debt and completes its capital projects.

04Mayor's pay3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council raised the pay of the next mayor, who takes office January 1, 2027, from $2,500 to $5,500 a month.

What's on the tableThe next mayor's pay is set; future council changes are limited to election years and must finish by the first Monday in May.

05Medical cannabis dispensary zoning1 sourced fact

Where it standsSince June 2025 the zoning rules allow cannabis dispensaries as retail uses in Regional Retail Business (B-3) districts.

What's on the tableWhether to keep, tighten or loosen where dispensaries may locate.

2 notes on these statements

Dick Heaton is the incumbent mayor and Manojkumar J. Patel is his challenger. Nelson County Gazette · Sep 30, 2026

The mayor presides at council meetings; Bardstown's minutes record roll-call votes for the six council members. Bardstown City Council minutes, 2026-03-24 · Mar 24, 2026

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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. Should Bardstown keep annexing nearby land into the city?

  2. 2. What should the city do with its property tax rate?

  3. 3. How much should the next mayor be paid?

  4. 4. Where should medical cannabis dispensaries be allowed?

Seat the councilSeat the Council →Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.On the recordHow the council voted11 council decisions, each member's vote side by side, with a link to the minutes.New · How Bardstown is runWho runs Bardstown, and what it costsWho the city manager is, council pay, whether the city is in the red, and where your property tax goes.Your houseA Bardstown house at the typical market value ($203,500) pays about $7,900 a yearProperty tax, water, trash and energy, line by line for your address, plus the savings most owners miss.

Key dates

The seat math

0 stay (not up this year): 6 on this ballot

6 council seats. The council decides by a 4-vote majority.

Every claim here links to its source and was checked against it before publishing. How this guide works

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