WillmarNot a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Willmar Mayor & City Council Election 2026

4 of 8 council seats are on the ballot, with 8 candidates running. Updated Oct 5, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check

Not sure who to vote for? Answer 3 questions and see which candidates agree with you, and why.

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Nov 3Election Day

How to vote · 11 days left

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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.

Everyone in Willmar votes for mayor; each ward elects council members from its own ward, with one seat per ward on this ballot (Wards 1 to 4). Council terms are four years and staggered.

Election Day · Nov 3

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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.

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

01Flock license-plate cameras3 sourced facts

Where it standsA motion to end the city's Flock contract tied 3-3 on Sept. 21, 2026 and failed when the mayor voted no.

What's on the tableWhether to end, keep or change the city's use of Flock cameras and the police policy that governs them.

02Willmar Connect broadband network3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council voted 5-3 in January 2026 to accept a roughly $7.6 million low bid to begin building phase one of the city-owned network.

What's on the tableHow the city proceeds on the remaining phases of the network and the debt that pays for it.

032027 budget and property tax levy3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council set a preliminary 2027 levy of $12,802,964 on Sept. 8, 2026, and set the Truth in Taxation hearing for Dec. 7.

What's on the tableThe final 2027 budget and levy, which the council may keep refining after the preliminary levy.

04Housing and State Affordable Housing Aid2 sourced facts

Where it standsOn Sept. 21, 2026 the council committed $101,017 and $150,000 in state housing aid to SW Minnesota Housing Partnership projects.

What's on the tableHow to use remaining housing aid and city land to add homes.

05Street assessments2 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council approved the 2026 street improvement assessment roll 8-0 on Aug. 17, 2026 after a public hearing.

What's on the tableHow future street projects are paid for and how much property owners are assessed.

2 notes on these statements

Carl Shuldes (Ward 1) and Sarah Kretschmann (Ward 4) are unopposed; Vicki Davis (Ward 2) is not seeking re-election, and Audrey Nelsen (Ward 4) did not file. West Central Tribune · Jun 3, 2026

Rick Fagerlie was excused and Tom Butterfield was absent on Sept. 21, 2026, so neither voted on the motion to end the Flock contract. Willmar City Council minutes, Sept 21, 2026 (draft, in Oct 5 packet) · Sep 21, 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. What should Willmar do about its Flock license-plate camera contract?

  2. 2. Should Willmar keep building the city-owned Willmar Connect network?

  3. 3. How should Willmar use public money to get more homes built?

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 voted4 council decisions, each member's vote side by side, with a link to the minutes.New · How Willmar is runWho runs Willmar, and what it costsThe city administrator earns $164,570. See 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): Tom Butterfield, Stephen Gardner, Tom Gilbertson4 on this ballot

8 council seats plus a mayor who doesn't vote on council items. The council decides by a 5-vote majority.

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