Flint mayor race: Sheldon Neeley seeks a third term as Councilwoman Tonya Burns runs on public safety and blight

FLINT — Flint voters will decide Tuesday whether to give Mayor Sheldon Neeley a third term or hand City Hall to Tonya Burns, the 6th Ward council member who has been one of his sharpest critics.

Neeley led the four-way Aug. 4 primary with 5,132 votes to Burns’ 3,913 in unofficial results, Flint Beat reported. Roshanda Womack and Micaiah Owens were eliminated. Write-in candidates Daron Rice and Linda Anthony are also running, the Genesee County Clerk’s Office confirmed to The Flint Courier News. The race is nonpartisan.

The candidates

Neeley, a former 6th Ward council member and state representative, was first elected mayor in 2019 and re-elected in 2022. If he wins, he would be the city’s first three-term mayor in more than 20 years, MLive reported. He has campaigned on fiscal management and balanced budgets.

Burns has represented the 6th Ward since 2021. She has called for a comprehensive public safety plan to address gun violence and a “100-day plan” that also targets blight and economic development. “We have to let investors know that Flint is open for business,” she told Flint Beat after the primary. MLive reported in September that the city had seen more than 25 homicides in 2026. At an Oct. 3 forum at the Brennan Senior Center, Burns said she disagreed with parts of how the city spent its federal ARPA money and pointed to a reckless-driving ordinance she worked on. Neeley was invited but did not attend, organizers said.

What the next mayor inherits

Neeley’s proposed budget for the 2026-27 budget year, released in March, projected about $73.6 million in general fund revenue, with “no increases in property taxes or income tax rates.” It proposed $88 million in general fund spending, $17.9 million of it one-time ARPA money, leaving about $70.1 million in ongoing costs. It projected general fund surpluses starting in the 2027-28 budget year, kept 116 police officer positions flat, held the Fire Department at 95 positions and added six blight jobs. The city levies 19.1 mills in property taxes plus a 1% income tax on residents and 0.5% on nonresidents who work in Flint.

Flint voters will also elect all nine ward council members and decide three millage renewals for police and fire, transit and parks.

How to vote

Early in-person voting in Flint runs through Sunday, Nov. 1, on the third floor of City Hall, 1101 S. Saginaw St., from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days, according to Genesee County’s notice of election. On Tuesday, Flint precincts vote at sites listed in that notice, from Berston Field House to Mott Community College. Voters can still register in person at their clerk’s office with proof of residency through 8 p.m. on Election Day. Absentee ballots can be requested in person until 4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3, and voters can check their registration and sample ballot at Michigan.gov/Vote.

Sources:
Genesee County, Notice of Election, Nov. 3, 2026 (Flint polling places, City Hall early voting hours, offices on the ballot, Flint millage language), https://cms7files.revize.com/geneseecountymi/Notice%20of%20Election%2011-3-26.pdf
City of Flint, notice of public hearing and FY2026-27 proposed budget and FY2027-28 forecast (mayor’s budget message, general fund revenue and appropriations, ARPA, millage and income tax rates, authorized positions), https://www.cityofflint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/PN.PH_.FY2027-Proposed-Budget-Mayor-and-City-Council-March-23-2026-Posted-3-16-2026-CORRECTED-ATTACHMENTS.pdf
Flint Beat, “Flint mayor to face councilwoman in November election showdown” (unofficial primary results, Burns and Neeley remarks), https://www.flintbeat.com/elections/flint-mayor-to-face-councilwoman-in-november-election-showdown-3bfe2023
The Flint Courier News, “Flint voters hear from one mayoral candidate at Brennan Center during forum,” Oct. 8, 2026 (forum, write-in candidates, candidate backgrounds), https://theflintcouriernews.com/flint-voters-hear-from-one-mayoral-candidate-at-brennan-center-during-forum/
MLive, “Burns and Neeley face off in Flint mayoral election in November” (three-term milestone, homicide count), https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/2026/09/burns-and-neeley-face-off-in-flint-mayoral-election-in-november.html
Photo: Alberryii, “City of Flint Municipal Center.jpg,” Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:City_of_Flint_Municipal_Center.jpg

Flint · Election 2026 coverage

Tags: Flint · Election 2026 · Flint Mayor · Sheldon Neeley · Tonya Burns · Public Safety