The Basics

Omaha has an independently elected mayor and City Council. The mayor serves as the chief executive of the city, while the council fills a legislative role. 

What’s the big deal?

Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert is running for an unprecedented fourth term serving as the city’s top elected official. During her tenure, Stothert has pushed several significant projects to the forefront, including the streetcar project, which she has heralded as a transformational development project that won’t require a tax increase to pay for. Still the project has drawn criticism, including from some other mayoral candidates. 

Major projects aren’t the only issue of note. The outcome of the mayor’s race could have implications for the city’s approach to affordable housing, homelessness, taxes, mobility concerns and other issues.

The Basics

Omaha has an independently elected mayor and City Council. The mayor fills an executive role, while the council serves a legislative role. The City Council consists of seven members. It meets most Tuesdays throughout the year. 

How do races work?

Each of the seven members represents a geographic district. All seven are up for election at the same time, along with the mayor. In each council district, the top two candidates in the primary advance to the general election. The office is nonpartisan – party affiliation does not appear on the ballot. Council members serve four-year terms. Their annual salary in 2025 will total $44,211, with 3% annual increases each year through 2030.

What’s the big deal?

Omaha’s City Council is in charge of adopting and amending local laws. It can alter codes making it easier or harder to build. It can change parking laws and noise ordinances within the city and authorize changes to local zoning and land use restrictions. It signs off on redevelopment agreements, including the use of tax increment financing, also known as TIF.

Council develops and adopts the city budget, which determines funding for services and major capital projects, as well as the city property tax rate. Council can set fees and rates, as well as levy taxes.

City Council also can aid or thwart the agenda of the city’s mayor. While the offices are officially nonpartisan council members occasionally do split along political lines. But for the most part, the current council has gone along with many of Mayor Jean Stothert’s proposals, despite Stothert being a Republican and a majority of council members being registered Democrats. With all seven seats on the ballot, that dynamic could potentially be altered. Or it could remain the same, as all seven members have filed for reelection.