MorgantownNot a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Morgantown Mayor & City Council Election 2026

6 of 6 council seats are on the ballot, with 9 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 · 12 days left

Find where to voteCheck your registration
In-person no-excuse absentee 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.

Voters citywide elect the mayor and may vote for up to six City Council candidates; the six with the most votes win. Eight candidates are running for the six council seats, and the mayor is unopposed.

In-person no-excuse absentee 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

01City tax rates4 sourced facts

Where it standsIn August 2026 the council kept the city property tax rate at the compensating rate of 0.087, the same as last year.

What's on the tableThe council sets the property and motor vehicle tax rates each year and adopts the city budget by ordinance.

02New fire station4 sourced facts

Where it standsThe city has awarded the construction contract for a new fire station that will also house the police department, with completion expected in July 2027.

What's on the tableThe next council will oversee construction and the financing of the fire station project.

03License-plate cameras4 sourced facts

Where it standsThe police department signed a one-year contract for Flock license-plate cameras, and residents raised privacy concerns at council meetings in July and August 2026.

What's on the tableWhether to keep the Flock camera contract when its one-year term ends.

04Housing and short-term rentals4 sourced facts

Where it standsPlanning and Zoning has prepared a short-term rental ordinance for the council, and in August 2026 approved a permit for 14 additional apartments.

What's on the tableWhether to adopt the short-term rental rules and how the city plans for new housing.

3 notes on these statements

Mayor Billy J. Phelps is unopposed on the November ballot. Beech Tree News · Oct 14, 2026

The City Council candidates are current council members Dionne Cannon Merritt, Telia Keown, Sharon Johnson, Amy Deweese, Michael B. Gary Jr. and Russell A. Givens, along with challengers Trenton Shain and Janeen Taylor. Beech Tree News · Oct 14, 2026

Michael B. Gary Jr. is completing the term of Dustin Embry, who resigned to accept the city's code enforcement officer position. Beech Tree News · Oct 14, 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. How should the city approach new housing?

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): 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.

  • The Department for Local Government lists Morgantown's government type as Mayor/Council. Kentucky Department for Local Government
  • In mayor-council cities in Kentucky, the mayor presides over council meetings but votes only to break a tie. KRS 83A.130
  • Morgantown City Council has six members; voters may vote for up to six candidates, and the top six will be elected and take office in January. Beech Tree News · Jun 5, 2026
  • City Council meetings take place on the second Thursday of every month at 5:00 PM in the upstairs chamber of City Hall. City of Morgantown

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