Edina City Council · Nov 3, 2026
James Hovland
Mayor; term ends January 2029City of Edina
James Hovland (Mayor) is not on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot and will stay on the Edina City Council after the election.
Mayor of Edina, first elected November 2004. His current term expires in January 2029, so he is not on this ballot.
Where James Hovland stands: positions on the record
Budget and taxes1 sourced position
Voted yes on Resolution 2026-45, adopting the proposed 2027 budget and proposed levy; the proposed general fund levy is up 6.50% (passed 4-0, Sept 2026; Pierce absent).
Infrastructure and facilities2 sourced positions
Voted yes on Resolution 2026-53, using General Fund surplus and reserves for one-time capital and strategic investments (passed 3-1, Sept 2026; Pierce absent).
Voted yes to approve a $33,230,267 guaranteed maximum price for the Braemar Ice Arena improvement project (passed 5-0, Sept 2026).
Council voteCity Council minutes, Sept 1, 2026 (in Sept 15, 2026 council packet, pp. 7-10) · Sep 1, 2026
Pedestrian safety1 sourced position
Moved to suspend all city spending on studying the France Avenue pedestrian underpass and to have staff study at-grade crossings with Hennepin County (passed 4-1, Apr 2026).
Council voteCity Council minutes, Apr 21, 2026 · Apr 21, 2026
Public safety2 sourced positions
Voted yes on second reading of Ordinance 2025-17, adding an Article XI on firearms to Chapter 22 of the city code (passed 4-0, Risser abstaining, Feb 2026).
Council voteCity Council minutes, Feb 4, 2026 · Feb 4, 2026
Voted yes to enter the joint powers agreement with the BCA Violent Crime Reduction Unit (passed 5-0, Aug 2026).
Council voteCity Council minutes, Aug 5, 2026 (in Aug 18, 2026 council packet, pp. 7-9) · Aug 5, 2026
Lawful gambling1 sourced position
Voted yes to adopt Ordinance 2026-02, repealing and replacing the city code chapter on lawful gambling (passed 4-1, Apr 2026).
Council voteCity Council minutes, Apr 7, 2026 · Apr 7, 2026
On the ballot this time
All 6 Edina candidates →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.