Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Bellevue Mayor & City Council Election 2026

3 of 6

council seats up

4 contests

7 candidates

Updated Oct 4, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check →

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

Mayor · 1 seat

Rusty HikeIncumbentRusty Hike is the mayor of Bellevue and owns a real estate brokerage he started in 2013. He previously served on the Bellevue Planning Commission and the Sarpy County Board of Commissioners.6sourced
Kevin PflagerKevin Pflager is a city planner for the City of Papillion. He says he has worked as a floodplain administrator and assisted the Papillion Planning Commission.6sourced

City Council Ward 2 · 1 seat

City Council Ward 4 · 1 seat

City Council Ward 6 · Unopposed

Conner BrownConner Brown is the only candidate listed for Bellevue City Council Ward 6.1sourced

All Bellevue voters choose the mayor, and voters in Wards 2, 4 and 6 each choose one council member for their own ward; Wards 1, 3 and 5 have no council race on this ballot.

3 notes on these statements

Conner Brown is the only candidate listed for Bellevue City Council Ward 6. Sarpy County Election Commission

Rusty Hike and Kevin Pflager both answered the Voter Information Project candidate questionnaire for mayor. Voter Information Project

Rusty Hike is the sitting mayor; the mayor does not appear in the roll-call votes cited on this page. Bellevue City Council minutes, Mar. 3, 2026 · Mar 3, 2026

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

Thomas BurnsThomas Burns represents Ward 1 on the Bellevue City Council.5sourced Don PreisterDon Preister represents Ward 5 on the Bellevue City Council.5sourced Kathy WelchKathy Welch is the Ward 3 councilwoman and has worked in residential real estate sales since 1992.5sourced

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

Start here

Match quiz5 questions · answers stay on your phone Seat the CouncilPick winners, see the council What council decidesProperty taxes and the city budget, Bonds and city debt, Waiving the three-reading rule Key datesDeadlines and vote centers

Next date

First day of in-person early voting at the Sarpy County Election Commission office

Mon, Oct 5, 2026

TodayAll key dates

What the next council decides

Property taxes and the city budget

Where it standsCandidates for mayor and council describe different approaches to setting the property tax levy.

What's on the tableThe next mayor and council will set the city's annual budget and property tax levy.

Mayor Rusty Hike wrote that the city is in a position to lower its property-tax levy rate for the first time in eight years. Voter Information Project · Aug 25, 2026
Kevin Pflager wrote that Bellevue has the highest city tax levy in Sarpy County and that he wants to improve efficiency with the long-term goal of lowering it. Voter Information Project · Jul 25, 2026
Richard Casey wrote in July 2026 that the council was in budget discussions for the 2026-27 fiscal year. Voter Information Project · Jul 20, 2026

Bonds and city debt

Where it standsIn February 2026 the council approved highway allocation fund pledge bonds of up to $5 million for street improvements on a 5-0 vote.

What's on the tableThe next council will decide whether and how to borrow for street, park and other capital projects.

On Feb. 17, 2026 the council approved Ordinance 4204, authorizing highway allocation fund pledge bonds of up to $5,000,000 for street improvements (passed 5-0). Bellevue City Council minutes, Feb. 17, 2026 · Feb 17, 2026
On Mar. 3, 2026 the council adopted Resolution 2026-03, a post-issuance compliance policy and procedures for the city's tax-exempt bonds (passed 6-0). Bellevue City Council minutes, Mar. 3, 2026 · Mar 3, 2026
Kevin Pflager wrote that the city should avoid using bonds unless voters approve them. Voter Information Project · Jul 25, 2026

Waiving the three-reading rule

Where it standsThe council voted 5-0 on Feb. 17, 2026 to waive the three-reading rule on two ordinances, a bond issue and a property sale.

What's on the tableThe next council will decide how often to hold ordinances to three readings before a vote.

On Feb. 17, 2026 the council voted 5-0 to waive the three-reading rule, hold a hearing and vote the same night on the bond ordinance, Ordinance 4204. Bellevue City Council minutes, Feb. 17, 2026 · Feb 17, 2026
On Feb. 17, 2026 the council also voted 5-0 to waive the three-reading rule for Ordinance 4205, the sale of 1.54 acres of city property to P5 Properties for $135,000. Bellevue City Council minutes, Feb. 17, 2026 · Feb 17, 2026
Kevin Pflager wrote that Bellevue consistently waives the rule and that he would stop waiving readings. Voter Information Project · Jul 25, 2026

Development, zoning and TIF

Where it standsBellevue has limited land left to develop, and the council recently rezoned a site at 36th Street and Granada Parkway for multi-family housing.

What's on the tableThe next council will decide rezonings, how to use tax increment financing, and how to balance housing and commercial development.

On Mar. 3, 2026 the council approved Ordinance 4202, rezoning land at the northwest corner of S. 36th St. and Granada Pkwy. from BN and AG to RG-20 for multi-family housing (passed 6-0). Bellevue City Council minutes, Mar. 3, 2026 · Mar 3, 2026
At the Feb. 17, 2026 hearing the developer described the project as 38 units of mixed housing for senior living. Bellevue City Council minutes, Feb. 17, 2026 · Feb 17, 2026
Mayor Rusty Hike wrote that Bellevue has about 4,000 acres occupied by Offutt Air Force Base and significant floodplains, which limit developable land. Voter Information Project · Aug 25, 2026

Entertainment district and water park

Where it standsThe council continues to approve contracts for the entertainment district and the Bellevue Indoor Water Park.

What's on the tableThe next council will oversee construction, related road work and the city's costs for these projects.

On Feb. 17, 2026 the council approved Amendment 4 to the HDR Engineering agreement for entertainment district construction management, up to $396,100 (passed 5-0). Bellevue City Council minutes, Feb. 17, 2026 · Feb 17, 2026
On Mar. 3, 2026 the council approved a change order of up to $155,726 with Holland Basham Architect for the Bellevue Indoor Water Park (passed 6-0). Bellevue City Council minutes, Mar. 3, 2026 · Mar 3, 2026
On Feb. 17, 2026 the public works director told the council that new traffic lights on Highway 34 will be installed before the water park opens. Bellevue City Council minutes, Feb. 17, 2026 · Feb 17, 2026

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. Should Bellevue keep waiving the rule that ordinances be read three times?
2. How should Bellevue set its property tax levy?
3. How should Bellevue use bonds?
4. What should come first for Bellevue's limited remaining land?
5. How should Bellevue use tax increment financing (TIF)?

Seat the Council →

Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.

Key dates

First day to mail out early voting ballotsSarpy County Election CommissionSep 28, 2026
First day of in-person early voting at the Sarpy County Election Commission officeSarpy County Election CommissionOct 5, 2026
Voter registration deadline for mailed-in registrations and at the DMVSarpy County Election CommissionOct 16, 2026
Last day to receive an application for an early voting ballot by mailSarpy County Election CommissionOct 23, 2026
Election DaySarpy County Election CommissionNov 3, 2026

The seat math

3 stay (not up this year): Thomas Burns, Don Preister, Kathy Welch3 on this ballot

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

The City Council page lists six council members, one each for Wards 1 through 6. City of Bellevue
Roll-call votes on council items in the March 3, 2026 minutes list the six council members; the mayor presides and is not listed among those voting. Bellevue City Council minutes, Mar. 3, 2026 · Mar 3, 2026
The county notice of election says all races on it are four-year terms unless otherwise indicated; none of Bellevue's contests is marked otherwise. Sarpy County

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