Ely City Council · Nov 3, 2026
John
Lahtonen
Ely City Council member; term ends December 31, 2028City of Ely
John Lahtonen (Ely City Council member) is not on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot and will stay on the Ely City Council after the election.
Not sure who to vote for? Answer a few questions and see which Ely candidates agree with you, and why.
No sign-in. Your answers stay on your device. We never endorse anyone. Report an error
Background
- About
- Ely City Council member whose term ends December 31, 2028.
On the record: John Lahtonen
7 sourced01Comprehensive plan2 sourced positions
Voted no on seeking bids from outside firms for a comprehensive plan review (failed 2-4, April 2026).
Council voteCity of Ely · Apr 7, 2026LinkHow the council voted
Agreed with Albert Forsman that the plan update could be done in-house, citing estimates of $25,000 to $50,000 for a new plan.
Own statementCity of Ely · Apr 7, 2026Link
02City budget2 sourced positions
Voted yes on rejecting the Heritage Preservation Commission's $1,700 budget request for the Tour of Ely brochure (passed 5-2, July 2026).
Council voteCity of Ely · Jul 21, 2026LinkHow the council voted
Voted yes on buying a floor scrubber for $8,045 with money from the EEDA fund (passed 4-3, September 2026).
Council voteCity of Ely · Sep 1, 2026LinkHow the council voted
03Utility rates1 sourced position
Voted yes on Resolution 2026-016 authorizing water, sewer and electric rate increases (passed 7-0, April 2026).
Council voteCity of Ely · Apr 21, 2026LinkHow the council voted
04Zoning1 sourced position
Voted no on directing the City Attorney to add storage and shipping containers to the off-street parking ordinance (failed 0-7, September 2026).
Council voteCity of Ely · Sep 1, 2026LinkHow the council voted
05Taxes1 sourced position
Said the $5,000 added for comprehensive plan help had raised the preliminary levy increase from 4.7% to 4.9%.
Own statementThe Ely Echo · Sep 19, 2026Link
Every claim links to its source and was checked against it before publishing. How this guide works
John Lahtonen: their words and their votes on the same issue
Comprehensive plan
In their words
Agreed with Albert Forsman that the plan update could be done in-house, citing estimates of $25,000 to $50,000 for a new plan.
Apr 7, 2026 ·City of Ely · Apr 7, 2026
On the record
Voted no on seeking bids from outside firms for a comprehensive plan review (failed 2-4, April 2026).
Apr 7, 2026 ·City of Ely · Apr 7, 2026
Match quiz · 2 minutes · no sign-in
See which Ely candidates match you
Also on your Ely ballot
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.