Broken BowNot a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Broken Bow Mayor & City Council Election 2026

2 of 4 council seats are on the ballot, with 5 candidates running. Updated Oct 20, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check

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Nov 3Election Day

How to vote · 12 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.

Broken Bow voters elect the mayor citywide and one City Council member in each of the two wards 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

01Data centers4 sourced facts

Where it standsBroken Bow adopted zoning rules for data centers and digital asset mining in September 2026. A temporary moratorium on such applications remains in effect until January 2027.

What's on the tableThe council will decide whether to grant permits to any data center that applies and whether to change the new rules.

02City budget and property tax3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe 2026-2027 budget and property tax request were adopted in September 2026. The request is about 2% higher than last year's, while the tax rate per $100 of valuation fell slightly.

What's on the tableThe next council will set the 2027-2028 budget and property tax request.

03Electric and trash rates3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council raised electric rates in November 2025 and again in June 2026 after the city's wholesale power supplier raised its prices. It also adopted a new trash assessment ordinance in May 2026.

What's on the tableThe council will decide how to respond to future wholesale power and trash hauling cost increases.

04Livestock and poultry in town3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council is discussing draft Ordinance 1323 on livestock and poultry inside city limits. Council members asked for it to be ready for a first reading on October 13, 2026.

What's on the tableThe council will decide whether to limit livestock and poultry in town and how to treat existing animals.

05Mayor and council pay2 sourced facts

Where it standsIn September 2026 the council approved new wages for the mayor and City Council, which take effect when the next council is seated.

What's on the tableFuture councils will decide whether to change elected officials' pay again.

06E-bikes and scooters2 sourced facts

Where it standsOrdinance 1313, adopted in July 2026, regulates electric scooters, electric bicycles and hoverboards on public property, after an earlier version was voted down in June.

What's on the tableThe council will decide whether to adjust the rules for young riders and the downtown area.

  • The council voted 4-0 in June 2026 to deny final passage of Ordinance 1311, an earlier version of the e-bike and scooter rules. City of Broken Bow · Jun 23, 2026
  • Revisions presented in June 2026 would bar minors without a motorcycle permit from riding on city roads with speed limits above 25 mph and restrict them in the downtown business area. City of Broken Bow · Jun 23, 2026
2 notes on these statements

The KCNI/KBBN list of filed candidates shows Russell Smith as the only candidate for the East Ward seat. Sandhills Express (KCNI/KBBN) · Mar 11, 2026

Ballotpedia lists Christopher Shelby and Rod Sonnichsen for Mayor, Jeremiah Daugherty and Paul D. Holland for the West Ward, and Russell Smith for the East Ward on the November 3, 2026 ballot. Ballotpedia

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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 data centers in Broken Bow need a special permit and meet strict noise, water and setback rules?

  2. 2. Should pay for the mayor and City Council go up starting with the next council?

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 voted9 council decisions, each member's vote side by side, with a link to the minutes.

Key dates

The seat math

2 stay (not up this year): Travis Kleeb, Joe Wamsley2 on this ballot

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

  • Broken Bow has a mayor and council form of government; four council members represent two wards and are elected by ward on a staggered basis for four-year terms. City of Broken Bow
  • The whole community elects the mayor for a four-year term. City of Broken Bow
  • 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
  • Rod Sonnichsen, then City Council president, was sworn in as mayor in January 2020 after voters recalled the previous mayor. Fox Nebraska (Associated Press) · Jan 21, 2020

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