Moore, Balls, Hammond Win Saginaw Council Seats
Voters also elected Charles Allen and Bob Johnson and rejected a proposal to lift the city's tax cap.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in City Hall
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Mayor Brenda Moore, Michael Balls, and Carly Rose Hammond won re-election to the Saginaw City Council, according to unofficial results from the November 3, 2026 election. Newcomers Charles Allen and Bob Johnson also won seats, while incumbents Priscilla Garcia and Tobias Young lost their bids.
Why it matters
The results reshape the nine-member council, with two incumbents leaving and two newcomers joining, affecting Saginaw residents directly. Voters also rejected a ballot proposal to remove the city charter's $3.8 million cap on annual general operating property tax collections, keeping the limit in place for city finances.
Four seats with four-year terms were decided in a 10-person race, and a separate one-seat, two-year race was decided head-to-head. The tax cap proposal failed by 861 votes, and results remain unofficial pending certification by state and county officials.
The players
Brenda Moore
Brenda Moore is the Mayor of Saginaw, who won re-election to the Saginaw City Council in the November 2026 election.
Bob Johnson
Bob Johnson is a former reporter and editor at The Saginaw News/MLive who was elected to the Saginaw City Council as a newcomer.
Charles Allen
Charles Allen is a newcomer who won the two-year Saginaw City Council seat by defeating Maximilian Olivarez.
The details
Four council seats with four-year terms were decided in a field of 12 candidates across two council races, with the top four vote-getters winning. Bob Johnson, a former reporter and editor at The Saginaw News/MLive, was among the newcomers elected. The ballot tax cap proposal was the eighth failed attempt to eliminate the cap, which was implemented in 1979.
Timeline
1979: Saginaw's city charter $3.8 million property tax cap was implemented.
November 3, 2026: Saginaw City Council elections and the tax cap ballot proposal were held.
2028: Terms expire for four council members not up for election this year.
Political Context
The rejected proposal was the eighth failed attempt to eliminate the 1979 charter tax cap, with opponents arguing it protects taxpayers and supporters calling it outdated and lacking inflation adjustments. The vote continues a pattern in which Saginaw voters have repeatedly kept the limit on general operating property tax collections in place.
The rejected tax cap proposal means the $3.8 million limit on annual general operating property tax collections remains in place for Saginaw property owners. Newly seated council members will set city budget and service priorities beginning with the new terms.
The takeaway
Saginaw voters have repeatedly kept the 1979 tax cap in place, so future debates over city revenue will likely center on the same limit. Residents following city finances should watch how the reshaped council approaches the budget.
What happens next
Official certified results will follow the certification process from state and county election officials.
Further reading
For more on local governance decisions, see City Hall coverage of Saginaw.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Mlive.
Live Poll
Should your city be allowed to collect more property tax revenue than its current cap?
