Big LakeNot a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Big Lake City Council Election 2026

2 of 5 council seats are on the ballot, with 3 candidates running. Updated Oct 5, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check

Not sure who to vote for? Answer 2 questions and see which candidates agree with you, and why.

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

No sign-in. Your answers stay on your device. We never endorse anyone.

Nov 3Election Day

How to vote · 12 days left

Find where to voteCheck your registration
Election Day (Nov 3): 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 choose two council members from three candidates. The mayor and two other council members are not up this year.

Election Day · Nov 3

Take your ballot with you

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

Your cheat-sheet comes right away. You'll also get a reminder before Election Day, the results, then what your council decides next. Unsubscribe anytime. No ads, never sold.

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.

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

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

What the next council decides

01New City Hall and Public Safety Facility3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council approved a construction manager in February 2026; the guaranteed maximum price is still to be set and must come in under $33 million.

What's on the tableFinal project cost, how it is paid for, and what happens to the current City Hall site.

022027 budget and property tax levy4 sourced facts

Where it standsAt an Aug. 12, 2026 workshop the council kept the preliminary 2027 levy at $6,865,952 for consideration on Sept. 16; the final levy is set in December.

What's on the tableThe final 2027 levy and budget, and whether to hold spending as state aid declines.

03Minnesota Avenue and street projects3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe state did not award $1.4 million in grant funding, so the council shortened the Minnesota Avenue project and plans to apply again in 2027.

What's on the tableWhether and when to build the rest of Minnesota Avenue and how to pay for street projects.

04New housing developments3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council approved the Prairie Rose final plat in July 2026 and reviewed a 211-lot concept with 42-foot lots in June.

What's on the tableWhether to approve planned unit developments with smaller lots and how much new housing Big Lake adds.

05Tax increment financing for Packaging Corporation of America3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council called a public hearing for Sept. 16, 2026 on a proposed tax increment financing district on about 115 acres of annexed land.

What's on the tableWhether to establish Tax Increment Financing District No. 1-8 and approve a related business subsidy.

3 notes on these statements

Council Member Ken Halverson's term also ends December 31, 2026. City of Big Lake

Kim Noding and Scott Zettervall took part in the Sept. 24, 2026 Big Lake Chamber candidate forum; Robert O'Leary did not attend. Patriot News MN · Oct 1, 2026

The three candidates who filed for the two council seats are Kim Noding, Robert O'Leary and Scott Zettervall. Minnesota Secretary of State

No sign-in · answers stay on your phone

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. What should the council do about the new City Hall and Public Safety Facility?

  2. 2. How should the city handle Minnesota Avenue without the state grant?

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 voted6 council decisions, each member's vote side by side, with a link to the minutes.New · How Big Lake is runWho runs Big Lake, and what it costsWho the city manager is, 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): Ken Geroux, Paul Knier, Paul Seefeld2 on this ballot

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

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

See something wrong? Report an error

Something wrong or missing? Tell us what and where, with a link to a source if you have one. Reports feed the next verification run.