Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Grand Island Mayor & City Council Election 2026

5 of 10

council seats up

6 contests

9 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

Ryan J. O'NeillRyan J. O'Neill is the Grand Island City Council president and an IT manager at Amur Equipment Finance. He chairs the Hall County Airport Authority Board, to which he was elected in 2018.9sourced
Jimmy ReedJimmy Reed is a Grand Island real estate agent and third-generation resident. He was named the 2025 Realtor of the Year by the Grand Island Board of Realtors.3sourced

City Council Ward 1 · Unopposed

Jack SheardIncumbentJack Sheard is a marketing strategist at IdeaBank Marketing and a first-term Ward 1 council member. He graduated with a BA in Journalism and Multimedia from UNK in 2000.7sourced

City Council Ward 2 · Unopposed

David L. PlondDavid L. Plond is a candidate for Grand Island City Council, Ward 2, where the incumbent is not seeking re-election.1sourced

City Council Ward 3 · Unopposed

Jason ConleyIncumbentJason Conley represents Ward 3 on the Grand Island City Council and was first elected in 2018.5sourced

City Council Ward 4 · 1 seat

City Council Ward 5 · 1 seat

All Grand Island voters choose the mayor, and each of the city's five wards has one council seat on this ballot; the other seat in each ward is not up this year.

6 notes on these statements

Mayor Roger Steele is not seeking re-election. KSNB · Jan 19, 2026

Councilmember Maggie Mendoza is not seeking re-election in Ward 2. Central Nebraska Today · Feb 18, 2026

David L. Plond is the only candidate listed for Ward 2. Hall County Election Commissioner · Sep 16, 2026

Councilmember Mitch Nickerson withdrew from the Ward 4 race. Central Nebraska Today · Mar 3, 2026

Ryan J. O'Neill, a Ward 3 councilmember, is running for mayor. KSNB · Jan 19, 2026

Barbara Paulick was appointed to the Ward 4 council seat on Sept. 8, 2026. Grand Island City Council minutes, Sept. 8, 2026 · Sep 8, 2026

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

Doug BrownDoug Brown represents Ward 1 on the Grand Island City Council and was first elected in December 2024.5sourced Chuck HaaseChuck Haase represents Ward 5 on the Grand Island City Council and was elected to his fifth term in 2024.6sourced Barbara PaulickBarbara Paulick was appointed to the Grand Island City Council, Ward 4, on September 8, 2026.2sourced Mark StelkMark Stelk represents Ward 2 on the Grand Island City Council and owns General Collection Company.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 decidesGood Life District and the Woodsonia agreement, Property taxes and the city budget, Water and sewer rates Key datesDeadlines and vote centers

Next date

First day of in-person early voting at the election commissioner's office

Mon, Oct 5, 2026

TodayAll key dates

What the next council decides

Good Life District and the Woodsonia agreement

Where it standsOn Sept. 8, 2026 the council approved a Good Life District Agreement with Woodsonia GI GLD, LLC (8-1, one abstention); several steps listed in the agreement are still in process.

What's on the tableThe next council will take up the remaining steps, including the redevelopment/TIF financing agreement, zoning and preliminary plat approvals, and the land sale.

City staff listed the agreement's operative events as a land sale contract (in process), the occupation tax ordinance (completed), a redevelopment/TIF financing agreement (in process), availability of cash on hand in the Program Fund (in process) and zoning and preliminary plat approvals (in process). Grand Island City Council minutes, Sept. 8, 2026 · Sep 8, 2026
On July 28, 2026 the council passed Ordinance 10,084, adding a 2 percent Good Life District occupation tax north of the BNSF railroad, effective Oct. 1, 2028 (9-0). Grand Island City Council minutes, July 28, 2026 · Jul 28, 2026
On July 14, 2026 the council voted 8-0 to temporarily rescind the mayor's authority to execute the agreement until further amendments could be made and authorized by the council. Grand Island City Council minutes, July 14, 2026 · Jul 14, 2026
On May 12, 2026 a motion to ask the mayor to form a council committee to review Good Life District applications failed 3-6; Mayor Roger Steele said he would veto such a committee. Grand Island City Council minutes, May 12, 2026 · May 12, 2026

Property taxes and the city budget

Where it standsOn Sept. 8, 2026 the council approved the FY2026-27 property tax request, which lets the levy rate fall as valuations rose 6.0 percent.

What's on the tableThe next council will set the city's annual budget and property tax request, including whether to add staff positions.

City Administrator Patrick Brown reported that 2026 valuations rose by $304,336,184, or 6.0 percent, to $5,359,528,585. Grand Island City Council minutes, Sept. 8, 2026 · Sep 8, 2026
Applying last year's levy rate of 0.241485 to the new valuation would raise city property tax revenue by $605,483; at the proposed rate of 0.227797 the city reported there would be no tax increase. Grand Island City Council minutes, Sept. 8, 2026 · Sep 8, 2026
Councilmember Jack Sheard proposed keeping the levy the same to help hire needed positions; Councilmembers Doug Brown, Ryan O'Neill and Doug Lanfear spoke against raising the mill levy. Grand Island City Council minutes, Sept. 8, 2026 · Sep 8, 2026

Water and sewer rates

Where it standsOn June 9, 2026 the council gave final approval (7-2) to water rate increases of 8.0 percent in each of FY2027, FY2028 and FY2029 and 5.0 percent in FY2030.

What's on the tableThe next council will carry out these rate schedules and review future cost-of-service studies.

The consultant reported a projected cash-basis water deficit of about $1.2 million in FY2026, rising to $2.4 million by FY2030, and said the water system was out of compliance with the minimum cash reserve policy without additional rate increases. Grand Island City Council minutes, June 9, 2026 · Jun 9, 2026
The consultant mentioned Grand Island was still the lowest compared to neighboring cities. Grand Island City Council minutes, June 9, 2026 · Jun 9, 2026

Housing and zoning

Where it standsIn June and July 2026 the council denied one duplex rezoning in McCoy Meadow (8-1) and approved the final plat for Trinity Heights 4th Subdivision (7-1).

What's on the tableThe next council will rule on rezonings, plats and development plans that set how much and what kind of housing is built.

Community Development Director Chad Nabity reported that a motion to recommend denying the McCoy Meadow rezoning, to maintain the buffer of single-family homes, carried. Grand Island City Council minutes, June 23, 2026 · Jun 23, 2026
Developer Cliff Mesner said the Trinity Heights homes are filled and have a waiting list of about 80 people. Grand Island City Council minutes, July 14, 2026 · Jul 14, 2026
Lindsey Jurgens lists expanding workforce housing as part of her campaign platform. Lindsey Jurgens for Grand Island
Laura Gamboa Urrego lists making housing more affordable as a campaign priority. Laura Gamboa Urrego

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 Grand Island move ahead with its Good Life District agreement with the developer Woodsonia?
2. Should a small council committee review Good Life District applications before they go to the full council?
3. When property values rise, what should the city do with its property tax levy?
4. Should the city raise water rates on the schedule in its cost-of-service study?
5. Should the council allow duplexes on lots first approved for single-family homes?

Seat the Council →

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

Key dates

Early voting ballots ready for delivery by mail (deadline)Nebraska Secretary of StateSep 28, 2026
First day of in-person early voting at the election commissioner's officeNebraska Secretary of StateOct 5, 2026
Voter registration deadline (mailed registrations postmarked, online, and at the DMV)Nebraska Secretary of StateOct 16, 2026
Last day of in-person early votingNebraska Secretary of StateNov 2, 2026
Election Day; polls open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central TimeNebraska Secretary of StateNov 3, 2026
New council seatedCity of Grand IslandDec 1, 2026

The seat math

4 stay (not up this year): Doug Brown, Chuck Haase, Barbara Paulick, Mark Stelk5 on this ballot

10 council seats. The council decides by a 6-vote majority.

Grand Island has a mayor-council form of government; the ten-member City Council has two representatives from each of the five voting wards. City of Grand Island
The mayor is the presiding officer at council meetings, and a City Administrator reports to the mayor and council. City of Grand Island
Roll-call votes in the Sept. 8, 2026 council minutes list the ten council members, not the mayor. Grand Island City Council minutes, Sept. 8, 2026 · Sep 8, 2026
The Notice of General Election lists the mayor and each ward's council seat as four-year terms. Hall County Election Commissioner · Sep 16, 2026
The new council is seated December 1, 2026. City of Grand Island

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