AshlandNot a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Ashland Mayor & City Council Election 2026

2 of 4 council seats are on the ballot, with 6 candidates running. Updated Oct 20, 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.

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Nov 3Election Day

How to vote · 11 days left

Find where to voteCheck your registration
Last day for in-person voter registration (Oct 23): 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.

All Ashland voters choose the mayor, and voters in each of the two wards elect one City Council member this year. Two council members stay on the four-member council.

Last day for in-person voter registration · Oct 23

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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

01Wellness and aquatic center and the sales tax4 sourced facts

Where it standsVoters decide on November 3, 2026 whether to raise Ashland's local sales tax from 1.5% to 2% to pay for a wellness and aquatic center and sports field improvements.

What's on the tableThe council will decide how the center is built, financed with bonds and run with the school district.

02Water and sewer rates and wells4 sourced facts

Where it standsNew water and wastewater rates took effect in July 2026 and rise each July for five years.

What's on the tableThe council will oversee new wells, wastewater plant upgrades and the rate schedule that pays for them.

  • A utility rate study consultant told the council that water and sewer rates had not changed since 2007. City of Ashland · Feb 5, 2026
  • The new rates take effect on July 1 of each of the next five years and pay for operations, maintenance, capital improvements and bonds. City of Ashland · May 7, 2026
  • Future capital expenditures named by the city administrator include a well field and expansion and improvements of the wastewater treatment plant. City of Ashland · May 7, 2026
  • A Lower Platte South Natural Resources District study reported non-point source nitrate leaching across the Ashland study area and recommended long-term groundwater monitoring. City of Ashland · Sep 3, 2026
03E-bike and e-scooter rules3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council adopted Ordinance 1262 regulating electric bicycles, scooters and motorcycles in September 2026 after amendments.

What's on the tableThe council will decide whether to change the rules as they are enforced.

04Silver Street pedestrian underpass3 sourced facts

Where it standsAshland is using a congressional grant for engineering on a pedestrian underpass at the railroad and is seeking money to build it.

What's on the tableThe council will decide whether to commit city money to build the underpass or choose a cheaper alternative.

05City budget and property tax4 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council adopted the 2026-2027 budget in September 2026 with the general levy unchanged at 45 cents.

What's on the tableThe next council will set future budgets and levies.

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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. Should Ashland build the planned Wellness and Aquatics Center?

  2. 2. How should Ashland handle e-bikes and e-scooters?

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 voted7 council decisions, each member's vote side by side, with a link to the minutes.

Key dates

The seat math

1 stay (not up this year): Chuck Niemeyer2 on this ballot

4 council seats plus a mayor who doesn't vote on council items. The council decides by a 3-vote majority.

  • The City of Ashland is divided into two wards, and each ward is represented by two council members. City of Ashland
  • The Mayor is elected by all the citizens in the City, and the Mayor and City Council are elected to four year terms. City of Ashland
  • Under Nebraska law the mayor of a city of the second class presides at council meetings and votes only to break a tie or when a majority cannot otherwise be reached. Nebraska Legislature
  • Chuck Niemeyer (Ward 1) and Jim Pinkman (Ward 2) were elected to the council in November 2024. Saunders County · Nov 5, 2024
  • In May 2026 the mayor announced the Ward 2 vacancy of Michelle Libal and sought applicants to serve the remainder of her term, which ends in December 2026. City of Ashland · May 7, 2026
  • Jake Crnkovich was appointed to fill the Ward 2 vacancy in May 2026. City of Ashland · May 21, 2026

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