Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Sparks Mayor & City Council Election 2026

1 of 5

council seats up

2 contests

4 candidates

Updated Oct 2, 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

Ed LawsonIncumbentMayor of Sparks since 2020 and a Sparks City Council member from 2010. Before public service, he worked for the outdoor sign company YESCO.9sourced
Wendi M. RawsonSmall business owner who opened Engine 8 Urban Winery in Sparks with her husband in 2019. She worked nearly two decades in the legal field and represented Ward 4 on the Sparks Citizens Advisory Committee.9sourced

City Council Ward 2 · 1 seat

Every Sparks voter picks a mayor; only Ward 2 voters pick a council member. The mayor presides but does not vote, so one of the council's five votes is on this ballot.

2 notes on these statements

Adam Mayberry won the Ward 4 seat with 54.35% of the vote in the June 2026 primary, so Ward 4 is not on the November ballot. Sparks City Council special meeting (primary canvass) minutes, June 18, 2026 · Jun 18, 2026

Charlene Bybee, the current Ward 4 council member, ran for mayor in the June 2026 primary and did not advance to the general election. Sparks City Council special meeting (primary canvass) minutes, June 18, 2026 · Jun 18, 2026

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

Donald AbbottCouncilmember, Ward 1; reelected in November 20249sourced Paul AndersonCouncilmember, Ward 3; won a four-year term in November 20249sourced Adam MayberryWard 4 council member-elect; won a majority in the June 2026 primary and will be declared elected after the November general election2sourced Joe RodriguezCouncilmember, Ward 5; elected in November 20249sourced

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 decidesCity budget, Data centers, Northeast Connector Key datesDeadlines and vote centers

Next date

Last day to register or update by paper application

Tue, Oct 6, 2026

TomorrowAll key dates

What the next council decides

City budget

Where it standsSparks ran general fund deficits in FY24 and FY25, and the council adopted the FY 2026-27 budget 5-0 in May 2026 with small deficits projected.

What's on the tableHow to close the gap between rising costs and revenue: fees, new taxes, cuts, or changes sought from the Legislature.

Deficits of $4.1 million in FY24 and $5.7 million in FY25 reduced the general fund's ending balance from $23.6 million in FY23 to $13.7 million in FY25. Sparks City Council budget workshop minutes, April 13, 2026 · Apr 13, 2026
Non-public-safety positions frozen in FY26 remain frozen in FY27. Sparks City Council budget workshop minutes, April 13, 2026 · Apr 13, 2026
In May 2025, the council adopted the FY 2025-26 budget 3-2 with direction to raise the Waste Management franchise fee from 8% to 14% of gross receipts. Sparks City Council minutes, May 27, 2025 · May 27, 2025
In June 2026, the council directed staff to prepare a 2027 bill draft request for a Sparks room tax surcharge, which staff estimated could generate an additional $2.5 million. Sparks City Council workshop minutes, June 24, 2026 · Jun 24, 2026

Data centers

Where it standsThe council voted 5-0 in September 2025 to start drafting data center zoning rules; the city has not finalized changes.

What's on the tableWhere data centers may locate in Sparks and what standards they must meet.

City code permits data centers by right in the Industrial, General Commercial and Professional Office zoning districts. Sparks City Council minutes, Sept. 22, 2025 · Sep 22, 2025
In September 2025, the council voted 5-0 to direct the city manager to draft amendments on where data centers are permitted and development standards for them. Sparks City Council minutes, Sept. 22, 2025 · Sep 22, 2025
The city is awaiting recommendations from the Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Agency on how the region should approach the industry. The Nevada Independent · Aug 14, 2026

Northeast Connector

Where it standsA Regional Transportation Commission study found two feasible corridors for a new road from Spanish Springs and east Sparks to the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center; no decision has been made to advance either.

What's on the tableWhat position Sparks takes on the Northeast Connector as the region plans roads for growth to the east.

The RTC feasibility study found both the Vista Boulevard (Golden Eagle) and La Posada corridors feasible and did not identify a preferred corridor. RTC Washoe
No decision has been made to advance either corridor into the environmental phase, and no funding has been specifically allocated for that purpose. RTC Washoe
Residents spoke against the Regional Transportation Commission's proposed Northeast Connector during public comment at council meetings in early 2026. Sparks City Council minutes, Feb. 9, 2026 · Feb 9, 2026
Lawson said there is controversy over whether the road should be two lanes or four lanes. KOLO 8 · Oct 1, 2026

License plate readers

Where it standsIn June 2026, the council approved a five-year Axon contract for automated license plate recognition, replacing another vendor whose services expire in 2027.

What's on the tableWhether and how Sparks police keep using license plate reader cameras.

The council approved the $1,046,000.05 Axon license plate recognition amendment 5-0 on June 22, 2026. Sparks City Council minutes, June 22, 2026 · Jun 22, 2026
Police said plate reader data is kept for 30 days and then purged if no case is assigned to it. Sparks City Council minutes, June 22, 2026 · Jun 22, 2026
Speakers at the June 22, 2026 meeting gave public comment opposing the item. Sparks City Council minutes, June 22, 2026 · Jun 22, 2026

Homelessness

Where it standsSparks bans camping within 1,000 feet of the Truckee River and, since June 2025, near the Sparks Marina, in Victorian Square, city parks and city parking structures.

What's on the tableHow Sparks balances outreach services and enforcement for people living outdoors.

In June 2025, the council voted 5-0 to expand the camping ban to within 1,000 feet of the Sparks Marina shore, Victorian Square, city parks and city-owned parking structures. Sparks City Council minutes, June 23, 2025 · Jun 23, 2025
The police department's Homeless Outreach Proactive Engagement (HOPE) team guides people to the Cares Campus shelter and helps them get identification and basic services. Sparks City Council minutes, June 23, 2025 · Jun 23, 2025

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 Sparks allow new data centers?
2. Should the region build a Northeast Connector road from Spanish Springs and east Sparks to the USA Parkway industrial area?
3. Should Sparks police use automated license plate reader cameras?
4. Should Sparks adopt a first responder fee to help cover emergency response costs?
5. How should Sparks respond to people living on the streets and along the river?

Seat the Council →

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

Key dates

Last day to register or update by paper applicationWashoe County 2026 General Election Sample Ballot BookletOct 6, 2026
Early voting beginsWashoe County Registrar of VotersOct 17, 2026
Early voting endsWashoe County Registrar of VotersOct 30, 2026
Election Day (7 a.m. – 7 p.m.)Washoe County Registrar of VotersNov 3, 2026

The seat math

4 stay (not up this year): Donald Abbott, Paul Anderson, Adam Mayberry, Joe Rodriguez1 on this ballot

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

Sparks voters elect a mayor and a five-member city council to staggered four-year terms. City of Sparks
The mayor presides over council meetings but is not entitled to vote; the mayor may veto council actions, and a veto can be overturned by four-fifths of the council. Sparks City Charter (Nevada Legislature)
Council members are elected by the voters of the ward they represent; the mayor is elected citywide. Sparks City Charter (Nevada Legislature)
The mayor and the Ward 2 and Ward 4 council members are elected together every four years. Sparks City Charter (Nevada Legislature)
A candidate who wins a majority of the vote in the primary is declared elected, and no general election is held for that office. Sparks City Charter (Nevada Legislature)

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