Auburn Mayor, Challenger Split on Experience and Openness at Forum

Auburn Mayor Chris Erickson pointed to housing development and grant funding as he asked for a second term at a chamber forum Oct. 12. Challenger Stephanie Holmes promised more open communication from the city and acknowledged she has a lot to learn about how it operates.
“I’m an open book, ask me anything,” Holmes told the audience.
The Auburn Chamber of Commerce hosted the mayoral forum at Auburn City Hall following its city council candidate conversation, with Executive Director Leslie Clark moderating. It was streamed on Facebook and included questions submitted by residents. The general election is Nov. 3.
The sharpest difference came on public participation in meetings. Holmes said residents want to be heard and the city should share more about its work, including timelines for projects. She said clearer communication would help counter negativity and misconceptions about the city.
She also said that while she understands the Nebraska Open Meetings Act, “there’s lots that I’m going to be learning in this process” if elected.
Erickson said residents can comment on agenda items at every meeting and contact him or council members with questions. He said opening meetings to back-and-forth questions often leaves the council going in circles. Clark asked whether residents may make statements during meetings while questions are reserved for the council member conversations, and Erickson confirmed that is the case. He said the city complies with the Open Meetings Act, answers records requests and keeps documentation available at City Hall.
Asked about disagreements among city leaders, Erickson noted the mayor votes only to break a tie. “We’re all gonna have disagreements. It’s gonna happen. We just have to communicate through those,” he said.
Holmes said officials should take emotion out of disagreements and focus on facts. “We aren’t always gonna get along and that’s okay,” she said.
Asked what initiative she would advance, Holmes said she would like an application process for city committee seats, letting residents explain why they want to serve on committees such as budget and finance. She said she might not fully understand the current process.
Erickson said his priority is keeping Auburn family-friendly by maintaining recreation facilities, including the pool and sports courts.
On housing, Erickson said the Westgate development will offer lots of different sizes for single-family and multifamily homes. He said workers at Peru State College and Cooper Nuclear Station have told the city they couldn’t find suitable housing in Auburn. He also pointed to the Nebraska Affordable Housing Trust Fund and redevelopment money for rental properties.
Holmes said attracting residents takes jobs, affordable housing, child care and activities, and that the city should make that information easier to find online.
Erickson said child care is the biggest need he hears from employers and that the area is “starting to be in dire straits.” He said the city is working on a regional solution, including a shared pool of substitute workers, after the recent closure of the child care center on the Peru State College campus and other centers in the area.
On workforce development, Holmes cited her years placing student teachers in area schools for Peru State. She said the city should help connect students with internships, job shadowing and job fairs.
On downtown, Erickson said the city’s vacant building ordinance, passed about five years ago, could be strengthened by the council. He said tax increment financing in the core area and Community Development Block Grant money remain the city’s main tools for downtown redevelopment.
Holmes said she has more to learn about what the city can and cannot do. She said the city should ask business owners what they need, help them find grants and “think outside of the box.”
On business retention, Erickson said online shopping has changed retail over the last 20 years. Holmes said the city should ask residents and business owners why people shop elsewhere and encourage shopping local.
Both candidates backed the Auburn Creative District. Erickson said many people who opposed its murals have since come around. He said the city should be a “small investor” in the arts because they bring in sales tax dollars. Holmes said the arts give people who aren’t involved in sports a place to belong. “Everyone needs a sense of belonging,” she said.
On prioritizing projects, Erickson said the city should identify its needs, maintain what it has and look for grant dollars, which he said the city has secured to address a number of needs during his term. Holmes proposed a committee that would rank projects by need and available money, with one-, three- and five-year plans, and explain to the public why projects are chosen.
In closing, Holmes said she would lead with integrity, transparency and collaboration. “This community shaped who I was,” she said.
Erickson, who said he has served the city for about 15½ years on the council and as mayor, said the city has made tough choices but is adding housing and bringing businesses to town. He said he would like to see every downtown building filled and asked residents to vote to let him continue serving.
A petition to recall Erickson, filed in July 2025, failed after the Nemaha County Clerk’s Office could not validate 12 of the 21 circulated petitions because of irregularities in how they were circulated. That left 152 valid signatures, short of the 301 needed to force a recall election.
In September, the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office charged petitioner Amanda Powell and Auburn City Council member Johnny Curttright with two felony counts each of falsely swearing to a circulator’s affidavit. Both cases are pending.