Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Copperas Cove City Council Election 2026

2 of 8

council seats up

2 contests

6 candidates

Updated Oct 5, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check →

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

City Council Place 6 · 1 seat

City Council Place 7 · 1 seat

Trae CunninghamCandidate for Copperas Cove City Council Place 7, listed on the Coryell County sample ballot.1sourced
William SmithCandidate for Copperas Cove City Council Place 7, listed on the Coryell County sample ballot.1sourced
Dana WallArmy veteran and local entrepreneur who has lived in Copperas Cove since 2011.3sourced

Council members are elected citywide, so every voter chooses both Place 6 and Place 7.

2 notes on these statements

The current Place 6 and Place 7 councilmembers, Vonya Hart and Jack Smith, are term limited, so neither race has an incumbent. Copperas Cove Leader-Press, Voter registration deadline looms ahead of local races with 12 candidates

If no candidate in a three-way race gets 50 percent plus one of the vote, that race goes to a runoff election, typically held in December. Copperas Cove Leader-Press, Voter registration deadline looms ahead of local races with 12 candidates

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

John Hale1sourced Howard Hawk1sourced Rita Hogan1sourced Christina Strohfus1sourced Dale Treadway1sourced Dan Yanceybio only

Start here

Seat the CouncilPick winners, see the council What council decidesStreet maintenance sales tax, Budget and property taxes, Bond-funded city projects Key datesDeadlines and vote centers

Next date

Last day to register to vote

Mon, Oct 5, 2026

TodayAll key dates

What the next council decides

Street maintenance sales tax

Where it standsVoters will decide on the same ballot whether to reauthorize a one-quarter-percent local sales tax for street maintenance.

What's on the tableHow the next council spends street maintenance revenue if the tax is reauthorized, and what the city does if it is not.

Proposition A asks voters to reauthorize the local sales and use tax at the rate of one-quarter of one percent for maintenance and repair of municipal streets. Coryell County Tax Office, Sample Ballot, General Election, Nov. 3, 2026 · Nov 3, 2026
The tax expires on the fourth anniversary of the election date unless it is reauthorized. City of Copperas Cove, Ordinance No. 2026-21 · Aug 4, 2026
The council ordered the special election on Aug. 4, 2026. City of Copperas Cove, Ordinance No. 2026-21 · Aug 4, 2026

Budget and property taxes

Where it standsThe council adopted the FY 2026-2027 budget with a property tax rate equal to the prior year's rate.

What's on the tableThe next council will set future budgets and tax rates.

The adopted rate is $0.686419 per $100 valuation, the same as the current fiscal year; the preceding year's rate was $0.661043. City of Copperas Cove, FY 2026-2027 Adopted Budget
The budget will raise less revenue from property taxes than last year's budget, by $30,454, a 0.28% decrease. City of Copperas Cove, FY 2026-2027 Adopted Budget
Outstanding municipal debt principal is $110,305,000. City of Copperas Cove, FY 2026-2027 Adopted Budget

Bond-funded city projects

Where it standsThe council narrowed a roughly $34 million certificate of obligation bond package in June 2026, with an issuance set for Aug. 4.

What's on the tableThe next council will oversee the projects funded and the debt payments.

On June 2 the council authorized a notice of intent to issue just over $34 million in certificate of obligation bonds. Copperas Cove Leader-Press, Copperas Cove city council culls projects to be funded with upcoming bonds
At a June 16 workshop the council removed or reduced several tax-funded projects, cutting the issuance by about $2.6 million. Copperas Cove Leader-Press, Copperas Cove city council culls projects to be funded with upcoming bonds
About $21 million of the bonds is to be supported by the Water & Sewer Fund. Copperas Cove Leader-Press, Copperas Cove city council culls projects to be funded with upcoming bonds

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.

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 to voteCopperas Cove Leader-Press, Voter registration deadline looms ahead of local races with 12 candidatesOct 5, 2026
Early voting beginsCopperas Cove Leader-Press, Voter registration deadline looms ahead of local races with 12 candidatesOct 19, 2026
Early voting endsCopperas Cove Leader-Press, Voter registration deadline looms ahead of local races with 12 candidatesOct 30, 2026
Election DayCoryell County Tax Office, Sample Ballot, General Election, Nov. 3, 2026 · Nov 3, 2026Nov 3, 2026

The seat math

6 stay (not up this year): John Hale, Howard Hawk, Rita Hogan, Christina Strohfus, Dale Treadway, Dan Yancey2 on this ballot

8 council seats. The council decides by a 5-vote majority.

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