News Flash

The Waterloo City Council has called a special election to fill a vacancy on the Waterloo City Council representing Ward 2, created when former Councilmember Dave Boesen was elected Mayor in December 2025.

The Council approved the special election at its meeting on Tuesday, January 20. The Ward 2 Special Election will be held on Tuesday, February 24, 2026.

Individuals interested in serving on the City Council must file Nomination Petitions and an Affidavit of Candidacy with the Black Hawk County Auditor. The filing deadline is Friday, January 30, at 5:00 p.m. Candidates must submit a minimum of 26 valid signatures from eligible electors residing in Ward 2, and nomination papers must indicate “Yes” for “To Fill Vacancy.”

Ballots will be available beginning February 4, 2026. In-person absentee (early) voting will be available at the Black Hawk County Auditor’s Office during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The deadline to request an absentee ballot by mail is Monday, February 9, at 5:00 p.m. 

For questions or additional election information, please contact the Black Hawk County Elections Office:

• Phone: 319-833-3007 
• Email election@blackhawkcounty.iowa.gov
• Web: blackhawkcountyelections.iowa.gov

Black Hawk County will elect members of the Board of Supervisors by district beginning in 2026, following changes enacted in Senate File 75, which was passed by the Iowa Legislature in 2025.

Under Senate File 75, Black Hawk County will no longer elect supervisors at large. Instead, voters will elect one supervisor from each of five districts. All five supervisor seats will be on the ballot for the 2026 primary and general elections.

Pursuant to Iowa Code 39.26, candidates must reside in the district they seek to represent by Primary Election Day, June 2, 2026. Voters will only vote for the supervisor candidate running in their own district.

Pursuant to Iowa Code 331.208, initial term lengths were determined by a random drawing conducted by the Black Hawk County Auditor. The resulting term lengths are as follows: 

• District 1: 4-year term
• District 2: 2-year term
• District 3: 2-year term
• District 4: 4-year term
• District 5: 4-year term

 The Iowa Legislative Services Agency prepared the district map. The map was approved by the Board of Supervisors on Dec. 15, 2025. The Iowa Secretary of State granted final approval on December 29, 2025.

 More information on the supervisor districts can be found at https://blackhawkcountyelections.iowa.gov/. 

Black Hawk County, IOWA – Winners of the second annual “Name a BHC Snowplow” contest met their newly named snowplows for the first time on Wednesday. 

Each of the named snowplows has been assigned a specific route:

• Truck Norris will cover a 22-mile route (name submitted by Robert Craft)
• Plowabunga will cover a 17-mile route (name submitted by Mona Roskopf)
• Plow Patrol will cover a 13-mile route (name submitted by Madison Gardner)

To view the routes assigned to the named snowplows, visit the BHC website.

Black Hawk County Road Department has already had a busy winter season. The Department maintains a fleet of 16 snowplow trucks on paved roads and 9 motor graders on gravel roads throughout the winter season. Snow and ice removal operations typically run from 5:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., though operators may be temporarily pulled from their routes if weather, visibility, or road conditions become unsafe.

Stay Informed on County Road Conditions: For the latest updates on county road conditions, follow the Black Hawk County Road Department on social media:

• Facebook: Black Hawk County Engineer’s Office & Secondary Roads
• X (formerly Twitter): @BHCEngineer

You can also subscribe to receive notifications directly by visiting: https://blackhawkcounty.iowa.gov/221/Road-Closure-Detour-Notices.

Winter Safety Reminder:

Whether a snowplow is named or unnamed, drivers should always exercise caution around these vehicles. Allow extra space, assume the driver cannot see you, and never pass a snowplow on the right.

Name a Snowplow Contest Recap

This was the second year for the "Name a Snowplow" contest. Over 200 creative submissions were narrowed down to a list of 15 finalists. Contest Winners were announced in December.  The full voting results are available on the Black Hawk County website.