Cherry County, NE elected officials: county commissioners or supervisors, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Cherry County: 9 seats on 7 elected bodies. 6 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

County Board of Commissioners or Supervisors

Cherry County Board of Commissioners

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

OfficeWho holds it now
County Commissioner, District 1Nina M. Nelson source
County Commissioner, District 2Martin K. DeNaeyer source
County Commissioner, District 3Mike McConaughey source

Official website

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County AssessorMelissa Bancroft sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County AttorneyEric A. Scott sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County ClerkSamantha Leonard sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Clerk of the District CourtJessica Hanson sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
SheriffRusty Osburn sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County TreasurerKathy Hammond sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

How many local governments Cherry County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 18 local governments in Cherry County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government11
Cities, towns, villages and townships70
School districts (school boards)20
Special districts (elected boards)80

Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).

About these counts

The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments, though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.

Who lives in Cherry County

5,498people
41.4median ageU.S.: 38.9
$66,270 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
8.3%below the U.S.: 12.5%
25.3%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$152,200median home valueU.S.: $332,700
0.4%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
4.1%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
6.5%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
9.4%U.S.: 8.4%
33.8%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
23%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 3.5% · White 83.8% · Black 1% · Asian 1.7% · Other or more than one race 9.9% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)

Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).

About these figures

The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.

Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.

Jobs in Cherry County

1.7%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 2.1%. Nebraska: 2.5%.
54people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
3,190people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
3,244in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Cherry County 0.0%0.6%1.3%1.9%2.5% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)1.7%543,1903,244
August 20261.8%593,2483,307
July 20262.1%693,2003,269
June 20262.2%733,1843,257
May 20261.9%603,0493,109
April 20261.6%513,0423,093
March 20261.9%613,0793,140
February 20262.4%753,0313,106
January 20262.3%713,0473,118
December 20252.2%693,0843,153
November 20252.4%742,9883,062
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20252.1%663,1433,209
August 20251.9%643,2863,350
July 20251.7%583,3313,389
June 20252.2%743,3333,407
May 20252.1%643,0213,085
April 20252.1%633,0043,067
March 20252.0%602,9903,050
February 20252.4%722,9072,979
January 20252.2%693,0323,101
December 20241.8%573,1263,183
November 20242.0%633,0263,089
October 20242.0%643,1033,167
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)2.1%673,1023,169
20241.8%573,1243,181
20231.8%583,1013,159
20221.7%543,1643,218
20211.6%533,2093,262
20202.3%743,1123,186
20192.4%773,1583,235
20182.2%713,1283,199
20172.3%753,1573,232
20162.3%773,2463,323

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. Nebraska's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 2.9% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.

Crime reported in Cherry County

143.7 per 100,0002024. Nebraska: 219.4.
431.2 per 100,0002024. Nebraska: 1,625.4.
0murders2024, 8 violent crimes in all.

2024 is the latest year with complete reporting here: at least one of the county's police agencies didn't send the FBI a full year of figures since, so later totals would be undercounts.

Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
20248143.724431.2
202314255.036655.7
202219348.039714.4
202120342.927462.9
202016282.626459.3
201911191.436626.5
201816274.842721.4
201723393.051871.5
201618306.753903.2
By police agency (2)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Cherry County Sheriff's Office2025112,943
Valentine Police Department20246242,632

Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in Nebraska · the U.S.

Police staffing

1.61 per 1,000 residents2025, 2 agencies serving 5,589 people.
9sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
2civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (2), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Cherry County Sheriff's Office512,943
Valentine Police Department412,646
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
202591.6122
2024101.8022
202391.6422
202281.4722
2021101.7122
2020101.7722
2019101.7422
2018111.8922
2016101.7022

Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.

Quick answers

Who is the Cherry County County Assessor?
Melissa Bancroft is the County Assessor of Cherry County, Nebraska. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Cherry County County Attorney?
Eric A. Scott is the County Attorney of Cherry County, Nebraska. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Cherry County County Clerk?
Samantha Leonard is the County Clerk of Cherry County, Nebraska. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Cherry County Clerk of the District Court?
Jessica Hanson is the Clerk of the District Court of Cherry County, Nebraska. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Cherry County Sheriff?
Rusty Osburn is the Sheriff of Cherry County, Nebraska. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Cherry County County Treasurer?
Kathy Hammond is the County Treasurer of Cherry County, Nebraska. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Cherry County commissioners?
Nina M. Nelson (District 1); Martin K. DeNaeyer (District 2); Mike McConaughey (District 3).
What is the population of Cherry County?
About 5,498 people, with a median age of 41.4; the median household income is $66,270 and 8.3% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Cherry County?
1.7% in September 2026 (preliminary): 54 people unemployed in a labor force of 3,244, against 2.1% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Cherry County?
18 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 7 municipal, 2 school district and 8 special district governments.

Officeholders as of November 7, 2026, from each county's annual audit filed with the Nebraska Auditor of Public Accounts (its list of county officials at June 30, 2025) or, where the audit has none, the county's own website (read November 2026), with the Secretary of State's, Department of Revenue's and Judicial Branch's contact directories for a clerk, assessor or clerk of the district court a county page doesn't name; officials appointed or replaced since then may differ; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.

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