College Station, TXVoter Guide 2026 · not a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

College Station Mayor & City Council Election 2026

4 of 7

council seats up

4 contests

10 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

City Council Place 1 · 1 seat

City Council Place 2 · 1 seat

City Council Place 5 · 1 seat

All four races are citywide: every College Station voter can vote for mayor and for one candidate each in Places 1, 2 and 5. A candidate needs a majority to win outright.

2 notes on these statements

Community Impact asked candidates to keep answers within 50 words, and answers may have been edited for length or style. Community Impact candidate Q&A · Sep 24, 2026

The official ballot lists Mayor: Bob Yancy, Elizabeth Cunha; Place 1: Mark Smith, Howard Mayne, Roy May; Place 2: Chandler Arden, Michael Kidd; Place 5 (unexpired term): Tre Watson, Padon Holt, Valen Cepak. Brazos County sample ballot, Nov 3, 2026

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

Melissa McIlhaneyCouncil member, Place 4, elected November 2024 to a four-year term5sourcedScott ShaferCouncil member, Place 6, elected November 2024 to a four-year term5sourcedDavid WhiteCouncil member, Place 3, elected November 2024 to a four-year term5sourced

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

Start here

Match quiz5 questions · answers stay on your phoneSeat the CouncilPick winners, see the councilWhat council decidesBudget and property taxes, Roadway impact fees, License plate reader camerasKey datesDeadlines and vote centers

Get your College Station ballot cheat-sheet

Candidates, positions and dates in one email, sent now.

One email now. We only email again if you ask. No ads, never sold.

Next date

Last day to register to vote

Mon, Oct 5, 2026

TodayAll key dates

What the next council decides

Budget and property taxes

Where it standsIn August 2026 the council adopted a $576.4 million FY2027 budget (6-1) and raised the property tax rate from 51.1872 to 53.0254 cents per $100 (5-2).

What's on the tableThe FY2028 budget and tax rate, including whether to stay near the voter-approval rate or cut spending to hold the rate.

Roadway impact fees

Where it standsIn January 2026 the council voted 5-2 to keep roadway impact fees at current rates after considering setting them to zero.

What's on the tableThe required five-year update of impact fees, and whether to raise, lower or end them.

License plate reader cameras

Where it standsIn September 2026 the council approved new agreements with Flock Group for license plate reader cameras, 4-2.

What's on the tableWhether to keep funding the cameras and what limits to set on how long data is kept and who can search it.

New Public Works facility

Where it standsThe FY2027 capital plan includes $55 million to build a new Public Works facility.

What's on the tableWhether to proceed with the new facility, scale it, or invest in the existing site.

Growth, roads and neighborhoods

Where it standsThe council is planning for growth from the Terafab chip plant in Grimes County while weighing neighborhood objections to new roads and subdivisions.

What's on the tableRezonings for new subdivisions, changes to the Thoroughfare Plan, and how to prepare for Terafab.

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. For FY2027 the council raised the city property tax rate from 51.19 to 53.03 cents per $100. What should the council do?

  2. 2. Roadway impact fees are one-time charges on new development that help pay for added road capacity. What should the city do with them?

  3. 3. Police use Flock cameras that photograph license plates on city roads. What should the city do?

  4. 4. The capital plan sets aside $55 million for a new Public Works facility on a new site. What should the city do?

  5. 5. Residents oppose a planned road extension through their area, like the Pebble Creek Parkway extension. What should the council do?

Seat the Council →

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

Key dates

The seat math

3 stay (not up this year): Melissa McIlhaney, Scott Shafer, David White4 on this ballot

7 council seats. The council decides by a 4-vote majority.

Every claim here links to its source and was checked against it before publishing. How this guide works →

Take your ballot with you

Who is on your ballot, where each candidate stands, and the dates that matter, in one email you can carry to the polls. Sent right now.

One email now. We only email again if you ask. No ads, never sold.

See something wrong? Report an error

Something wrong or missing? Tell us what and where, with a link to a source if you have one. Reports feed the next verification run.