Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Bowling Green City Commission Election 2026

4 of 5

council seats up

Vote for up to 4

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 Commissioner · Vote for up to 4

Carlos BaileyIncumbentAttorney who has served on the Bowling Green City Commission since 2021. He opened the Bailey Law Firm of Southern Kentucky in 2011, with a practice in immigration, criminal and civil litigation.7sourced
Dana Beasley-BrownIncumbentYouth Services Center staff member at Bowling Green Junior High and a city commissioner since 2019. She was elected to the City Commission in November 2018.7sourced
Melinda HillIncumbentExecutive Director of CASA of South Central Kentucky and a Bowling Green city commissioner. She is a former Chief of Staff of Kentucky's Finance and Administration Cabinet.6sourced
Don LangleyNonpartisan candidate for Bowling Green City Commission, listed with the Warren County Clerk.2sourced
Tom MorrisBowling Green small business owner and former computer engineer. He worked at NCR and EMC and later founded Sustainnovators LLC, a real estate investment company.5sourced
Sue ParriginIncumbentLeadership development consultant and retired WKU employee, on the Bowling Green City Commission since 2015. She holds a doctorate in organizational leadership from the University of Louisville.7sourced

Commissioners are elected at large, so every Bowling Green voter picks from the same field for four seats; the mayor is not on the ballot this year.

3 notes on these statements

Mayor Todd Alcott is not on the 2026 ballot; he was reelected in 2024. Bowling Green Daily News · Jun 3, 2026

Brian Fishback filed as a write-in candidate for Bowling Green City Commission on June 9, 2026, according to the Warren County Clerk's list. Warren County Clerk · Aug 1, 2026

The Warren County Clerk lists Tom Morris as Thomas Alan Morris, Carlos Bailey as Carlos D'Angelo Bailey and Dana Beasley-Brown as Dana Beasley Brown. Warren County Clerk · Aug 1, 2026

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

Todd AlcottMayor of Bowling Green, reelected in 2024; not on the 2026 ballot6sourced

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

Start here

Match quiz4 questions · answers stay on your phone Seat the CouncilPick winners, see the council What council decidesData centers, Flock license-plate cameras, Standing in road rights-of-way Key datesDeadlines and vote centers

Next date

Voter registration deadline

Mon, Oct 5, 2026

TodayAll key dates

What the next council decides

Data centers

Where it standsThe commission voted down a six-month pause on data center applications on June 2 and again on June 16, 2026, and adopted zoning restrictions on data centers on June 16.

What's on the tableWhether to revisit the data center zoning rules or take up another pause.

A municipal order for a six-month due diligence period on data centers failed 2-3 on June 2, 2026, with Commissioners Bailey and Beasley-Brown voting yes. Bowling Green Board of Commissioners minutes, June 2, 2026 · Jun 2, 2026
Zoning Ordinance BG2026-6, which adds data center restrictions, was adopted by a unanimous vote on June 16, 2026. Bowling Green Board of Commissioners minutes, June 16, 2026 · Jun 16, 2026
Thirty-three people spoke against data centers coming to the community or encouraged a moratorium at the June 16 meeting. Bowling Green Board of Commissioners minutes, June 16, 2026 · Jun 16, 2026
The Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce interim CEO told the commission that no data center was pursuing the area at that time. Bowling Green Board of Commissioners minutes, June 16, 2026 · Jun 16, 2026

Flock license-plate cameras

Where it standsBowling Green police use Flock automated license plate readers, and candidates are discussing what safeguards should apply.

What's on the tableWhat rules the commission sets for police use and expansion of license plate reader cameras.

Documents obtained by the College Heights Herald indicate the Bowling Green Police Department signed an agreement with Flock in September 2023; a department spokesman said the cameras were first installed at the beginning of 2026. College Heights Herald · Sep 27, 2026
A police spokesman said all searches of the Flock database require supervisor approval and are audited monthly. College Heights Herald · Sep 27, 2026
The same spokesman confirmed the department has requested money for more cameras. College Heights Herald · Sep 27, 2026

Standing in road rights-of-way

Where it standsOrdinance BG2026-16, regulating pedestrians who remain stationary in city rights-of-way, passed first reading as amended on September 1, 2026.

What's on the tableWhether to give the ordinance final approval and whether a permit and fee apply.

The ordinance follows House Bill 189 of the 2026 legislative session, which prohibits pedestrians from remaining physically stationary in state-maintained rights-of-way not intended for pedestrian use. Bowling Green Board of Commissioners minutes, September 1, 2026 · Sep 1, 2026
An amendment exempting people residing on a property and their guests was approved unanimously. Bowling Green Board of Commissioners minutes, September 1, 2026 · Sep 1, 2026
An amendment removing the $20 permit fee was approved 3-2, with Commissioners Parrigin and Hill voting no. Bowling Green Board of Commissioners minutes, September 1, 2026 · Sep 1, 2026

Budget and property taxes

Where it standsThe commission passed a smaller fiscal year 2027 budget and set the 2026 real estate tax rate at 20.3 cents per $100, unchanged from last year.

What's on the tableNext year's tax rates and how to respond if occupational tax collections keep falling short.

The fiscal year 2027 general fund budget is $110.2 million, down $6.7 million from the prior year. Bowling Green Daily News · Jun 7, 2026
Occupational taxes make up 59% of the general fund, and collections through March 31 were about 5.8% below target. Bowling Green Daily News · Jun 7, 2026
The budget freezes hiring for new positions across all city departments. Bowling Green Daily News · Jun 7, 2026
The 2026 real estate tax rate of 20.3 cents per $100 is unchanged from 2025. Bowling Green Daily News · Sep 17, 2026

New municipal building

Where it standsThe city is moving ahead with a new municipal building next to City Hall; on August 4, 2026 the commission accepted a $2,579,697 proposal from Kelley Construction, Inc.

What's on the tableFurther contracts, financing and spending on the downtown City Hall campus project.

In March 2026 commissioners accepted a design proposal from JRA Architects of up to $2.65 million for a roughly 60,000-square-foot building next to City Hall. Bowling Green Daily News · Mar 21, 2026
The August 4 vote to accept the Kelley Construction proposal passed 4-1, with Commissioner Parrigin voting no. Bowling Green Board of Commissioners minutes, August 4, 2026 · Aug 4, 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. Should Bowling Green pause new data center approvals while it studies them?
2. What should Bowling Green do about police license-plate cameras?
3. How should the city handle the permit needed to stand in busy road rights-of-way?
4. What should Bowling Green do with its city property tax rate next year?

Seat the Council →

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

Key dates

Voter registration deadlineKentucky State Board of ElectionsOct 5, 2026
Online mail-in absentee ballot request portal closesKentucky State Board of ElectionsOct 20, 2026
Excused in-person absentee voting beginsKentucky State Board of ElectionsOct 21, 2026
No-excuse early in-person voting begins (through Oct. 31)Kentucky State Board of ElectionsOct 29, 2026
Election DayKentucky State Board of ElectionsNov 3, 2026

The seat math

1 stay (not up this year): Todd Alcott4 on this ballot

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

Bowling Green's Board of Commissioners has four commissioners, who serve two-year terms, and a mayor, who serves a four-year term; commissioners serve at large. City of Bowling Green
A city manager oversees the city's day-to-day functions and operations. City of Bowling Green
The mayor takes part in the commission's roll-call votes alongside the four commissioners. Bowling Green Board of Commissioners minutes, June 16, 2026 · Jun 16, 2026
Commissioner races are nonpartisan and have no primary election. Bowling Green Daily News · Jun 3, 2026
The commission meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 4:30 p.m. in the Commission Chamber, 1001 College Street. City of Bowling Green

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