Politics
Billings City Clerk Releases New 2026 Candidate Profile Guidelines
Billings residents will gain standardized profiles on city council and mayoral candidates through the city website and local libraries ahead of the November ballot.
How we reported this
The Billings City Clerk has issued updated guidelines requiring all candidates for mayor and city council to complete standardized questionnaires on local issues. These profiles must be submitted by July 15 and will appear on the official city website starting July 22. The change applies to races across the four wards in the November 2026 municipal elections and covers every registered voter within city limits.
Municipal elections decide who sets property tax rates, zoning rules and public safety budgets used by residents every day. Filing deadlines for the 2026 ballot fall in the next several weeks, which has prompted the clerk's office to release the new format now so voters have time to review the material before early voting begins.
Profiles Cover Property Taxes and Zoning Decisions
Residents will see candidate answers on topics such as proposed adjustments to the property tax levy and rules for new development near the Yellowstone River. Someone living in the Heights neighborhood, for instance, can compare positions on street maintenance funding that directly affects annual road repair schedules in their ward.
U.S. Census Bureau figures show Billings had 117,116 residents as of 2020, forming the base for local voter rolls. The guidelines require each candidate to state a position on at least five specific city services, including police staffing levels and water utility rates, so households can match their own monthly costs to the choices offered by contenders in their ward.
Printed Copies Available at City Libraries
The Parmly Billings Library and its branches will stock printed copies of the completed profiles for residents without reliable internet. Distribution begins the same week the online versions appear, covering neighborhoods from the West End to Lockwood.
The clerk's office will accept public questions on the profiles through August 15. Candidates who fail to submit responses will have their names listed with a note that no questionnaire was received, a step the guidelines describe as a way to keep the record clear for voters preparing to cast ballots.