ValleyNot a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Valley City Council Election 2026

2 of 4 council seats are on the ballot, with 3 candidates running. Updated Oct 20, 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

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.

Valley voters choose two City Council members citywide; the top two vote-getters win. Two council members and the mayor stay in office.

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

01New swimming pool and the sales tax5 sourced facts

Where it standsOn November 3, 2026, Valley voters decide whether the city may use up to half of its 1.5% local sales tax revenue for a new municipal swimming pool.

What's on the tableThe council will decide the pool's design, cost and financing, and how the sales tax is split between the pool and water projects.

02Water mains and the water plant4 sourced facts

Where it standsThe city is replacing water mains under its FY26 project and has accepted part of its water treatment plant expansion as substantially complete.

What's on the tableThe council will approve water main contracts, decide wastewater rates and respond to the investigation of the August 2026 water pressure loss.

03Valley Corporation complex3 sourced facts

Where it standsIn September 2026 the council approved the preliminary plat for the Valley Corporation (MLCT Bevington) project after a public hearing where several residents spoke against it.

What's on the tableThe council will rule on later plats, permits and conditions for the project and for other new development.

04A new municipal building3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe city has proposed a new building to house City Hall, the police department and the library.

What's on the tableThe council will decide whether to build a new municipal building and how to pay for it.

1 note on these statements

Ahead of the January 2026 special election, the Douglas County Post-Gazette reported that Bill Socha declined its interview request and that James Dean had a scheduling conflict. Douglas County Post-Gazette · Dec 26, 2025

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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. Where should Valley build its new pool?

  2. 2. How should Valley replace its aging water mains?

  3. 3. Should Valley approve the Valley Corporation office, warehouse and recycling complex?

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 voted8 council decisions, each member's vote side by side, with a link to the minutes.

Key dates

The seat math

3 stay (not up this year): Melanie Hayden, Jake Lewis, Linda Lewis2 on this ballot

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

  • Valley is governed by a Mayor and a four member City Council who are elected by the people of the City. City of Valley
  • All Governing Body members serve four-year terms. City of Valley
  • 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
  • Those two seats were vacated by the recall of former council President John Batcher and by Linda Lewis, who became mayor. Douglas County Post-Gazette · Dec 26, 2025

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