Patrick Bonnett

This page was current at the end of the official's last term in office covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Patrick Bonnett

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Nonpartisan

Prior offices

Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District Board Subdistrict 9

Successor: Anne Hubbard

Predecessor: Mark Gruenewald

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Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

University of Nebraska, Omaha, 1998

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Army

Years of service

1993 - 2003

Personal

Birthplace

Anchorage, Alaska

Religion

Catholic

Profession

Accountant

Contact

Personal Facebook

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Personal LinkedIn

Patrick Bonnett was a member of the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District Board, representing Subdistrict 9. He assumed office on January 7, 2021. He left office on January 9, 2025.

Bonnett ran for re-election to the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District Board to represent Subdistrict 9. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Bonnett completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Patrick Bonnett was born in Anchorage, Alaska. He served in the U.S. Army from 1993 to 2003. Bonnett earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska Omaha in 1998. His career experience includes working as an accountant and insurance agent. Bonnett has been affiliated with the National Association of Tax Preparers.

Elections

2024

See also: Municipal elections in Douglas County, Nebraska (2024)

General election

General election for Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District Board Subdistrict 9

Anne Hubbard defeated incumbent Patrick Bonnett in the general election for Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District Board Subdistrict 9 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Anne Hubbard (Nonpartisan)	53.6	14,410
	Submit photo	Patrick Bonnett (Nonpartisan)	46.4	12,458

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 26,868
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Incumbent Patrick Bonnett and Anne Hubbard advanced from the primary for Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District Board Subdistrict 9.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Bonnett in this election.

2020

See also: Municipal elections in Douglas County, Nebraska (2020)

General election

General election for Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District Board Subdistrict 9

Patrick Bonnett defeated Tyler Berzina in the general election for Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District Board Subdistrict 9 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Patrick Bonnett (Nonpartisan)	50.3	16,498
	Submit photo	Tyler Berzina (Nonpartisan)	49.7	16,293

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 32,791
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District Board Subdistrict 9

Tyler Berzina and Patrick Bonnett defeated James Houlihan in the primary for Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District Board Subdistrict 9 on May 12, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Tyler Berzina (Nonpartisan)	37.1	5,920
✔	Submit photo	Patrick Bonnett (Nonpartisan)	32.8	5,232
	Submit photo	James Houlihan (Nonpartisan)	30.1	4,802

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 15,954
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Patrick Bonnett completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Bonnett's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My name is Patrick Bonnett, a nearly lifelong resident of Omaha and a graduate of Millard South High School and of the University of Nebraska at Omaha where I obtained my BGSGA with a concentration in Real Estate Finance and Land Use Economics. I am self-employed as a tax accountant and insurance agent and own a boutique practice, Encore Financial Services, Inc., Encore Tax Prep.

I'm also a 3rd generation Veteran of the US Army, Field Artillery (13M10 - MLRS) and of the US Army Reserves (71D20 - Legal Specialist). This service in particular has developed in me a deep-rooted sense of duty and loyalty to my community and helps to drive my motivations to see that Omaha continues to develop in a wise, innovative, forward-thinking manner.

I stay engaged around town and have volunteered for the Red Cross, Papillion Girls Soccer, Gretna Girls Soccer and my Catholic church parish, St. John Vianney. I have also served as the President Elect for Future Omaha, Vice President and Charter Member of the Millard Business Association, and as the co-Founder and President of the Millard Alumni Association.

Currently, as the incumbent office holder for the Papio-Missouri Natural Resource District Sub-District 9, I serve as the Assistant Treasurer and as a member of several committees.

I'm running for re-election to complete Omaha's Flood Control Plan and to see to it that our damsites and water quality regional retention basins are completed.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Sound Financial Stewardship of Taxpayer Monies - Voters understand that pre-development capital improvement infrastructure projects such as flood control damsites, levies and water quality basins don't come cheaply, and they expect those they elect to keep a keen eye on their money to ensure it is spent wisely. The efficient use of tax dollars is paramount with me and to the extent I can provide meaningful over-sight, I will. To achieve quality supervision over district staff, vendors, engineering firms, and other contractors without disrupting day-to-day operations requires that I be well informed. So, to that end, I meet with our staff regularly, along with engineering firms that bid on our projects.
• Honorable Service - I expect those I vote for to represent me well and never dishonor their service. To my constituents, I hope to be of service and will always endeavor to represent you and your interests as best as I can. In the end, I hope to make a difference and be able to step back when it's all over and say that I made a small contribution to our community.
• Transparency with Community Engagement - Nothing is more irritating to the voting public than a politician who cannot be reached or bothered to engage with community members. I support Community Engagement by requiring our staff to host Stakeholder Meetings for most projects. I support Inter-local Agreements with our other local municipalities. I support Cost-Share Programs such as the Small Dams Program. I also support our education programs such as the Outdoor Classrooms, School Visits, World of Water Day, etc. Public Engagement and Transparency is key to maintain trust with voters and taxpayers.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate in the belief that all of our managed sites be publicly accessible to the safest extent possible.

I am passionate about Transparency in government, about the ease of access to and use of data and other information developed by all levels of government and the fairness of operations by government so that voters are treated equally and without systemic discrimination or targeting for taxes or fees.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

a full third of our state's population resides within the Omaha Metro Area which is geographically located within 3 major rivers and on top of the largest watershed in a 3 State area, the Papio Creek Watershed, which has 4 main legs and about 30 tributaries. So, the people are here, and the water is here and that creates many challenges. Water is very unforgiving as many homeowners have come to realize; and the damage it can cause whether from a surface flood to a groundwater inundation leading to wet basements, the price tags can be daunting.

We need local office holders who get it, who understand the problem and know what to do about it. We need public officials with vision and the youthful energy to pursue efficient and effective solutions. At 52 years old, I have both the experience and the energy to get the job done.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Politically, I look at Ronald Reagan's example to follow for myself. He first had a profession before serving in office and was well known as a man who could bring people together to solve problems. He wasn't perfect and may have made a few mistakes, but he tried to make the best decisions he could given the information and resources he had at his disposal. He also never seemed to lose his sense of humanity or humor while in office. He served his time in office and then went back to his private life not hanging on to power for too long. He gave it up and passed it off with grace. That's an admirable trait to me.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

I'm currently re-reading the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven R. Covey and one of the main ideas is to always start with the end in mind. Picture the goal as if it's already achieved and what that might look like.
Then with that image in mind, work backwards on what needs to be done to achieve that goal. Breaking big ideas or big projects down into smaller more achievable tasks will help to ensure success and the effective management of the process itself.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Duty, honor, character, selfless service, an open and innovative mind, good problem solving, effective communication, and trustworthiness are all important characteristics to have for anyone looking to serve in public office.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Some people have a lot of money and wield it as power, some have big character or personality. Others lead with the ability to bring people together. I network well and try to problem solve rather than digging philosophical trenches to die in. The public expects us to get work done for them not grandstand with politics. In this case, we are tasked with completing Omaha's flood control plan which requires the construction of damsites and other structures.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

An elected official must hold themselves to a higher standard of living and of performance than they might otherwise do when not in public office. They need to show up on-time, prepared, well read, sober of sound mind, and ready to deliver results for their constituents.

Elected officials need to have a deep sense of duty to the community and responsibility to the voting public and to the hard-earned tax dollars they manage.

What legacy would you like to leave?

The first and most important priority I had when running for this office was the completion of Damsite 15-A which is now called Fr. Flannigan Lake. It's done and complete. I'm very proud of this structure as it's a real gem in our community and it provides a great deal of flood control along the West Papio Creek down past Bob Boozer Drive and as it flows through Millard and Papillion.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

As a kid, I was thrilled with all things Sci-Fi, NASA, and Star Wars, mainly for their themes of right versus wrong, good versus evil. I used to write to the Astronauts and would receive letters back from them until January 18th 1986 when I was home from school, sick, and watched the takeoff and eventual explosion of the space shuttle Challenger. It was a terrible thing to see for a 15-year-old who had been idolizing the program. I'll always remember the days that followed.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My very first job was mowing lawns. I started Millard Area Lawn Care when I was 12 years old and serviced about 125 accounts until I was 21 and used the money to pay for college. I was also soccer referee and paperboy for the Omaha Sun and Omaha World Herald Newspapers among other jobs I held as a youth.

What is your favorite book? Why?

As an avid reader, I could never just have one favorite book. Growing up on CS Lewis and John Grishom, I learned to seek the more compelling themes and couldn't give them up until I had read my books cover to cover. I still read often but seem to be in a bit of a self-help trend right now.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

The last song that got stuck in my head is still occupying space there after over a week's time. It's "You are my sunshine" by The Dead South

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Dealing with loss has always been a bit of a struggle for me. Losing family members is never easy but I have had a particularly hard time letting go at times.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

A relatively recent new power or responsibility that was granted to our NRD through the State and an Inter-Local Agreement with all the other local municipalities is the ability to assess a Watershed Management Fee on those landowners who have parcels situated along the creeks and rivers. The revenue from this fee, as an example, may be used to armor up the banks of the river to prevent sloughing, erosion, and other detrimental effects such as those from certain farming practices.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

A solid understanding of the policies and procedures of a governmental body is needed and any candidate for office should absolutely come prepared to serve within the system. Former Board experience is good. Former Management experience is also good. Lastly, a firm understanding of Parliamentary Procedures is key in order to be effective in office.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

It would be helpful for the holders of this office to understand how a community grows, how the builders and developers active in the community operate and bid on projects and the permitting procedures that must be adhered to when seeking to plan out a project. These and many more skills are needed in order to be effective in office for this position.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

I am absolutely in favor of providing transparency and government accountability to the greatest extent possible.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2020

Patrick Bonnett did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

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