SmithfieldNot a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Smithfield Town Council Election 2026

4 of 7 council seats are on the ballot, with 5 candidates running. Updated Oct 9, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check

Not sure who to vote for? Answer 5 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
Election Day (Nov 3): 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.

Your houseWhat does your Smithfield house pay?A Smithfield house at the typical market value ($374,900) pays about $9,400 a year. Enter your address for your own number: property tax from the county's record, water, trash and energy, and the money dates ahead.

The candidates

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

Voters can choose up to four of the five Town Council candidates, and the top four vote-getters win; three other council members continue in office.

Election Day · Nov 3

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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

01Growth and housing density4 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council has debated written guidance asking the Planning Commission not to change zoning in ways that increase density.

What's on the tableThe next council will decide how far special use permits can be used to allow more homes on a property.

02Pierceville property4 sourced facts

Where it standsThe town bought the 57 acres at Route 10 and Main Street for $6.5 million and rezoned the land to community conservation.

What's on the tableThe next council will choose a master-plan consultant and decide how the land is used.

03License plate cameras3 sourced facts

Where it standsSmithfield police operate 16 leased Flock license plate cameras.

What's on the tableThe next council will decide whether to keep paying for the cameras and what limits to set on their use.

04Closed-session records2 sourced facts

Where it standsSince March 2026 the council has not kept minutes or recordings of its closed sessions.

What's on the tableThe next council can keep that policy or restore closed-session minutes.

05Short-term rentals3 sourced facts

Where it standsHomeowners may rent their homes short-term for up to 104 nights a year by right; more nights require a special use permit from the council.

What's on the tableThe next council will decide permit requests for year-round short-term rentals and whether to change the rules.

2 notes on these statements

Vice Mayor Bill Harris and Councilman Steve Bowman hold two of the four seats on the ballot and are not running. Smithfield Times · Jun 19, 2026

Nicholas F. Hess and Gene S. Monroe Jr. are chairman and vice chairman of the town's Board of Zoning Appeals. Smithfield Times · Jun 19, 2026

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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. Should developers be able to get special use permits that raise housing density?

  2. 2. Was the town right to buy the Pierceville property for $6.5 million?

  3. 3. Should Smithfield police keep using Flock license plate cameras?

  4. 4. Should the council keep minutes of its closed sessions?

  5. 5. Should Smithfield allow more short-term rentals?

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 voted3 council decisions, each member's vote side by side, with a link to the minutes.Your houseA Smithfield house at the typical market value ($374,900) pays about $9,400 a yearProperty tax, water, trash and energy, line by line for your address, plus the savings most owners miss.

Key dates

The seat math

3 stay (not up this year): Mary Ellen Bebermeyer, Darren Cutler, Michael G. Smith4 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

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