The issue of whether or not the pit bull dog ban in Salina will be rescinded will be decided in a special election in February. City Commissioners Monday evening set a date of February 24, 2026, to decide the issue.

The commission opted for a mail election. Registered Salina voters will receive a ballot in the mail, along with a postage-paid envelope. The ballot must then be returned to the clerk’s office prior to the February deadline.

The cost of an in-person special election is estimated at $65,000, while a mail election is estimated at $90,000.

The last time Salina had a mail election was in 2014 for a school bond issue, which passed.

Salina City Manager Jacob Wood is working with Saline County Clerk / County Election Officer Jamie Doss on the specifics of the election.

Back on October 27th a petition to repeal the pit bull dog ban in Salina was presented to the Salina City Manager’s Office. A couple of weeks later the Saline County Election Officer validated the petition.

The pit bull ban was enacted by the city commission back in 2004. Prior to the law being passed there were 24 pit bull bite incidents in a two year span, between 2003 – 2004. Since that time, over the next 15 years there were 17.

In December of 2019 the issue was revisited again. At that time Salina City Commissioners voted 3 – 2 to not overturn the breed specific ordinance which makes the dog illegal to have within city limits.

A similar petition was submitted in September of last year, and fell 22 signatures short of the required number.