Bellevue Mayor Rusty Hike faces Kevin Pflager in tax strategy showdown

Bellevue voters will choose between incumbent Mayor Rusty Hike and challenger Kevin Pflager this November in a contest defined by diverging plans for property tax relief. Both candidates promise to lower taxes and improve the city, but they disagree on the mechanisms required to achieve those goals.

Hike’s strategy relies on large-scale development to expand the tax base. He points to the new water park and the REACH project as drivers that attract out-of-state visitors, hotels, and restaurants. Hike argues that this influx of external spending creates the revenue necessary to reduce local property tax burdens. He stated that visitors from outside the city leave money locally, which allows the city to start lowering taxes for residents.

Pflager supports the water park but views it as a partial solution. He said he would work to ensure the project’s success and coordinate complementary development around it. However, he argued that the city cannot rely solely on big projects for sustainable revenue. He described the water park as a helpful but imperfect tool, noting it is not a guaranteed or foolproof method for permanently lowering taxes. Instead, he advocates for steady growth in sales tax revenue.

The candidates also clashed over potential conflicts of interest. Residents asked Hike to address how his real estate business might influence his decisions as mayor. Hike said he recuses himself from votes on projects near his company’s properties. He noted that property ownership is common among residents and that his business does not dictate his policy choices.

Hike countered by questioning Pflager’s role as a city planner for neighboring Papillion. The mayor asked how Pflager could represent Bellevue while planning for a competing municipality. Pflager responded that his job is not to recruit development to Papillion but to advise developers who have already selected their sites. He said he anticipates few conflicts as mayor, except in cases involving land swaps or boundary adjustments.

The race also lacks an official debate. An 18-year-old first-time voter expressed a desire for more information on the candidates. Pflager had proposed a debate online, which he considers an official invitation. Hike said he would participate if an independent party organized the event to ensure it remained unbiased and not a "hit job."