ElsmereNot a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Elsmere Mayor & City Council Election 2026

6 of 6 council seats are on the ballot, with 12 candidates running. Updated Oct 20, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check

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Nov 3Election Day

How to vote · 11 days left

Find where to voteCheck your registration
In-person, 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.

The candidates

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

The mayor's office and all six council seats are on the ballot. Voters may choose up to six council candidates.

In-person, 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

01New public works building4 sourced facts

Where it standsIn July 2026 the council voted to move forward with a design for a new public works building next to Woodside Park.

What's on the tableThe next council will oversee construction contracts and the final cost of the building.

02Taxes4 sourced facts

Where it standsThe payroll tax rose to 1.75% on July 1, 2026; the real property tax rate stayed at 16.1 cents per $100.

What's on the tableThe council sets the property tax rate each year and can change the payroll tax rate.

03Dixie Highway lane reduction3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe state shelved its plan to cut Dixie Highway from four lanes to three in June 2026 but could revisit it in coming years.

What's on the tableWhat position the city takes if the state brings the reconfiguration back.

  • The Elsmere City Council voted unanimously in February 2026 to oppose the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's reconfiguration of Dixie Highway. LINK nky · Feb 17, 2026
  • The plan would have changed the road from two lanes in each direction to one lane each way with a shared center turn lane. LINK nky · Feb 17, 2026
  • The cabinet announced in June 2026 that the reconfiguration will not be done at this time, though it could revisit it in the coming years. LINK nky · Jun 8, 2026
04Parks and Woodside Park2 sourced facts

Where it standsA city Parks Task Force began reviewing initial drawings for Woodside Park in August 2026.

What's on the tableHow much to invest in Woodside Park and other city parks.

05Code enforcement and problem properties2 sourced facts

Where it standsCity staff are filing liens on rental properties out of compliance and working with county planners on problem properties.

What's on the tableHow strictly the city enforces its property and rental rules.

06Garvey Avenue bridge2 sourced facts

Where it standsThe Norfolk Southern bridge on Garvey Avenue was downgraded to a 13-ton limit, which fire apparatus cannot cross.

What's on the tableHow the city presses Norfolk Southern and the state for a fix, and how it plans emergency routes meanwhile.

  • The bridge's weight rating was reduced from 27 tons to 13 tons after a structural analysis by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. LINK nky · Aug 13, 2026
  • Elsmere does not own the bridge but placed roughly 20 new signs about the reduced limit and detours. LINK nky · Aug 13, 2026
2 notes on these statements

Ten candidates are on the ballot for the six at-large council seats. Kentucky State Board of Elections

Andrew Myatt was appointed to the council in June 2025 to fill the seat left vacant when Serena Owen resigned. LINK nky · Jun 19, 2025

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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 Elsmere build the planned new public works building?

  2. 2. What should Elsmere do with its property tax rate?

  3. 3. If the state brings back the plan to cut Dixie Highway to three lanes, what should Elsmere do?

  4. 4. How high a priority should improving Woodside Park and other city parks be?

  5. 5. How should Elsmere handle enforcement of city ordinances?

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 voted3 council decisions, each member's vote side by side, with a link to the minutes.

Key dates

The seat math

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

6 council seats plus a mayor who doesn't vote on council items. 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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