2026 General Election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Boone County Commissioner, District 1

Voted on across Boone County, in district 1. Open seat: Timothy (Tim) Beyer is not on the ballot.

Find your exact ballot All Boone County races

Who votes on this seat: Commissioners must live in their district, but every voter in the county votes for this seat. Indiana Code 36-2-2-5

What this office does

In 91 of Indiana's 92 counties, a three-member board of commissioners is the county executive and conducts the county's business in the board's name ^{[1, 2]}. Commissioners administer county government affairs that state law does not assign to a separately elected officer, while the county council, a separate elected body, controls budgets, tax rates and salaries ^{[2, 3, 4]}. Marion County is the exception: under the consolidated Indianapolis–Marion County government (Unigov), the mayor holds most executive power, and the elected county assessor, auditor and treasurer serve as the county commissioners, with duties that mostly concern county finances ^{[5, 2, 6]}.

The job in full — the duties the Indiana Code puts in it, the term, what it pays and who sets that, and what to ask a candidate.

Term: 4 years, starting January 1 after the election; seats are staggered, so one or two of the three seats are filled at each general election ^[7]
Elected: On the partisan general-election ballot; each commissioner represents a district and must live in it, but in every county except Lake and St. Joseph the whole county votes on every commissioner seat; in Lake and St. Joseph counties only the district's voters choose ^{[8, 9]}
Term limit: None stated; the statute that sets the four-year term does not limit how many terms a commissioner may serve ^[7]
Qualifications: Must have lived in the county at least one year and in the commissioner district at least six months before the election, and be registered to vote in the election district; a county employee who is elected must leave that county job on taking office ^{[10, 9]}
Pay: Set locally: the county council fixes the compensation of county officers in its annual salary ordinance ^{[4, 11]}
On the 2026 ballot: 94 races; 41 contested ^[12]

What the law puts in this job (13)

Acts as the county executive and transacts county business under the name of the board of commissioners ^[1].
Runs the day-to-day administration of county government affairs that the state has not given to a separately elected county officer ^[2].
Serves as the county's legislative body, passing ordinances and resolutions, in every county except Lake, Marion and St. Joseph, where that power belongs to the county council ^[2].
Controls, maintains and supervises county property such as the courthouse, the jail building and county offices ^[13].
Oversees county roads and bridges, highway records, speed limits and stop signs ^[13].
Audits and approves claims for payment, takes bids and authorizes county contracts ^[13].
Prepares the commissioners' part of the county budget and recommends salaries to the county council, which must consider the executive's recommendations before adopting the salary ordinance ^{[13, 11]}.
Handles zoning, planning, building regulation and economic development matters, and in many counties casts the final vote on rezoning requests such as proposed data centers ^{[13, 14]}.
Sets voting precincts and polling places and appoints members of many county boards ^[13].
Establishes and maintains the county health department and can declare a local disaster emergency ^[2].
Draws the three commissioner districts and the county council districts, outside the largest counties where a commission or the council draws them ^{[15, 16]}.
Does not set the county budget, property tax rate or salaries; those decisions belong to the county council, and no money leaves the county treasury without a council appropriation except as otherwise provided by law ^{[3, 4, 11]}.
Does not run the offices of other elected county officials such as the sheriff, auditor or treasurer, which are separately elected ^[2].

Boone County's numbers for this office

Legal Insights county office research (Oct. 13, 2026): Indiana Gateway budgets 2019-2026 and the indicator sources linked on each line.

Commissioners' department (code 0068), 2026 adopted budget

$11,773,344

27% more than 2019, before inflation

2019 $9,287,8882026 $11,773,344

The year-by-year figures

Adopted budget, all funds, 2019-2026 (not adjusted for inflation)

2019: $9,287,888
2020: $10,032,720
2021: $10,162,227
2022: $11,465,352
2023: $12,291,858
2024: $12,842,676
2025: $15,137,586
2026: $11,773,344

Budget lines counted: 0068 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

Adopted 2026 county budget (Form 1 line items, Form 4B) and earlier years' budgets

In most counties this department also holds countywide costs such as group and liability insurance, contracts and some capital projects. It is the department total, not the cost of the board of commissioners.

Also on the record for this office

SEA 1 estimated county-unit revenue change in 2028 vs prior law: $-2,296,440 (LSA)
MUST taskforce (LIT distribution talks): consultant hired
wheel tax: discussed
fiscal consultant named in records: Baker Tilly

Measured, for this county

A position compares this county with counties of similar size. It is not a grade: for most measures a higher or lower number is neither good nor bad on its own.

General Fund cash, in days of spending · 2025

252 days

End-of-2025 General Fund cash divided by a year's disbursements, times 365.

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: high (council and commissioners jointly): spending and appropriation decisions

Position 8 of 17 counties with 50,000 to 150,000 residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

Share of the 2025 General Fund budget spent · 2025

104.6%

Actual General Fund spending divided by the certified budget.

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: high (council appropriates; commissioners and officers spend)

Position 2 of 17 counties with 50,000 to 150,000 residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

County debt per resident · 2025

$552

Debt outstanding at the end of 2025 (annual financial report).

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: high (council authorizes borrowing; commissioners initiate many projects)

Position 3 of 17 counties with 50,000 to 150,000 residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

Budget growth, 2023 to 2026 · 2023-2026

+48.8%

Adopted budget, all funds, not adjusted for inflation.

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: high (council adopts the budget)

Position 2 of 17 counties with 50,000 to 150,000 residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

SEA 1 estimate for 2028 · 2028 (LSA estimate)

-11.4%

Legislative Services Agency estimate of the county government's revenue change under the 2025 property tax law, compared with prior law.

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: low: set by state law (SEA 1-2025); local rate choices from 2028 change the outcome

Position 13 of 17 counties with 50,000 to 150,000 residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source

Property tax cap credits · 2026

5.6%

Tax-cap (circuit breaker) credits as a share of the 2026 levy: revenue the county does not collect because of the caps.

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: low: set mainly by the constitutional caps and the combined rates of all units in the county

Position 14 of 17 counties with 50,000 to 150,000 residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

County bridges rated poor · 2025

4.6%

Share of county-owned bridges in poor condition (2025 inventory).

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: partial: commissioners set road and bridge priorities and local match; projects take years and depend on grants

Position 13 of 17 counties with 50,000 to 150,000 residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source

Highway spending per lane-mile · 2025

$6,489

2025 county highway spending per lane-mile of county road.

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: high (commissioners direct the highway department; council appropriates)

Position 12 of 17 counties with 50,000 to 150,000 residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

Meeting minutes online · 2026-10

Agendas only

Whether the council's or commissioners' minutes are posted online (the better of the two), checked Oct. 2026.

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: high (commissioners and council decide what they post)

About this race

Boone County (county seat: Lebanon; includes Zionsville and Whitestown) is in the middle of rapid growth around the state-led LEAP district near Lebanon. In January 2025 the Lebanon Reporter described LEAP as a high-tech development on about 9,000 acres of former farm and residential land, reported that the Indiana Economic Development Corp. had asked Lebanon to annex more than 7,000 acres, and said the council had approved funding for a $59 million justice center that includes the jail ^[28].
Commissioners are the county's three-member executive board. Each must live in a district, but the county says commissioners are elected by, and represent, all Boone County taxpayers regardless of district, so every county voter can vote in this race ^{[29, 30]}. The county clerk's candidate list describes District 1 as Eagle Township precincts 2–4, 7–10, 12, 13 and 16–20 ^[31].
Open seat: Commissioner Tim Beyer lost the May 5, 2026 Republican primary to Zionsville Town Council President Jason Alan Plunkett, 55.74% to 44.26%. Bob Brennan was unopposed for the Democratic nomination with 3,438 votes ^{[23, 32]}.
Issues before the board in 2026 include the one-year data-center moratorium (through June 15, 2027), rezoning for industrial growth, road and bridge projects, jail upkeep, and a comprehensive plan update released for public review in June 2026 ^{[26, 27]}.
No candidate forums or debates were found in sources reviewed.

Candidates on the ballot

Robert D. (Bob) Brennan

Democratic

Democrat Bob Brennan says he is a high school teacher of 31 years and a coach, with earlier private-sector jobs at ALCOA and PepsiCo. He was unopposed in the May 2026 Democratic primary ^{[33, 23]}.

Brennan's background

Says he has taught high school for 31 years and coached wrestling and football as an assistant and head coach ^[33].
Says he worked in the private sector for ALCOA and PepsiCo on teams focused on efficiency and quality, and served as a union president, describing "collaborative bargaining to identify shared goals" ^[33].
Graduate of Wabash College with a master's degree in counseling; says he has lived in Boone County for 30 years ^[33].

Brennan's positions

Transparency

Says his priority is to "foster a more open and accountable local government" so that every resident has a voice in county decisions ^[33].

Zoning & land use

Says the county's growth should be managed with transparency and foresight, citing his experience building teams and handling complex situations ^[33].

How Brennan would run the office

His website does not list specific proposals on the budget, LEAP, data centers, water or roads ^{[33, 30]}.

Brennan on the current officeholder

Open seat. No statements by Brennan about Commissioner Beyer or the board's record were found on his website ^[30].

How Brennan got on the ballot

Unopposed in the May 5, 2026 Democratic primary, with 3,438 votes ^[23].

What we could not find about Brennan

Positions on data centers, LEAP, water, taxes and roads not found; his Facebook and Instagram pages were not reviewed.
No independent news coverage of his campaign was read; teaching history is self-reported (school not named on the page reviewed).
No endorsements or campaign finance reports were found.

Brennan's campaign website

Sources for Brennan

About (Bob Brennan for Boone County Commissioner (campaign site))

Jason Alan Plunkett

Republican

Republican Jason Plunkett is president of the Zionsville Town Council, where he represents District 2. He defeated Commissioner Tim Beyer in the May 2026 Republican primary ^{[32, 23]}.

Plunkett's background

Zionsville Town Council president, District 2 ^[32].
His town biography says he graduated from Ball State University in 2001, started as a financial advisor with Northwestern Mutual in Zionsville and later held several roles there, including College Unit Director, Field Director and Recruiting Field Director ^[32].
Serves on the Boone County Convention and Visitors Bureau, is a member of the Zionsville Chamber and is a former president of the Zionsville Community Development Corporation ^[32].

Plunkett on the current officeholder

Challenged Commissioner Beyer in the primary. No statements by Plunkett about Beyer's record were found on pages that could be read.

How Plunkett got on the ballot

Won the May 5, 2026 Republican primary over incumbent Tim Beyer, 3,363 votes (55.74%) to 2,670 (44.26%) ^[23].

What we could not find about Plunkett

Current (youarecurrent.com) ran a primary Q&A with Beyer and Plunkett on April 2, 2026, which could not be reviewed for this profile.
A Jan. 1, 2025 Lebanon Reporter article said a 'Jason Plunkett' would join the county council, but county records list council member Dustin Plunkett; this appears to be a name error in the article and not this candidate.
Whether he still works for Northwestern Mutual is not stated on the page reviewed.
No campaign website or published plan was found.
No endorsements or campaign finance reports were found.

Sources for Plunkett

Staff directory: Jason Plunkett, Town Council President, District 2 (Town of Zionsville)

Key points

Boone County (county seat: Lebanon; includes Zionsville and Whitestown) is in the middle of rapid growth around the state-led LEAP district near Lebanon. (The Lebanon Reporter (via Yahoo News))
On Jan 13, 2026 the council approved bridges ($2,968,000), small structures ($963,000) and road conversions ($655,000) from General Fund reserves, each 7-0. Ord. 2025-03 authorized three highway notes of up to $2 million each (Oct 9, 2025). (boonecounty.in.gov)
Boone County government adopted a $76.8 million budget for 2026, about $952 per resident; that is +48.8% compared with 2023. (Indiana Gateway for Government Units)

Sources

Researched Sunday, October 11, 2026

Indiana Code 36-2-2-2: Board of commissioners as county executive (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
County Government Overview: Indiana (National Association of Counties (NACo))
Indiana Code 36-2-5-2: Tax rates and appropriations (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
Indiana Code 36-2-5-3: Compensation of officers and employees (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
Indiana Code 36-2-2-1: Application of chapter (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
Marion County Commissioners (Encyclopedia of Indianapolis (Thomas C. Kennedy))
Indiana Code 36-2-2-3: Election and term of executive (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
Indiana Code 36-2-2-5: Qualifications and residency of members; district or countywide election (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
2026 Indiana Candidate Guide (Indiana Election Division)
Indiana Code 3-8-1-21: Candidates for county commissioner (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
Indiana Code 36-2-5-11: Annual budget, tax rate and salary ordinances (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
2026 General Election Candidate List (Indiana Election Division)
Commissioners Responsibilities (Boone County, Indiana)
Indiana state officials want to attract data centers. Local communities are beginning to push back (Indianapolis Business Journal via Inside INdiana Business (Marek Mazurek))
Indiana Code 36-2-2-4: Commissioner districts (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
Indiana Code 36-2-3-4: Council districts and at-large members (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
2026 Primary Election Summary Report (Final) (Boone County, Indiana)
Boone County Board of Commissioners minutes, June 15, 2026 (Boone County, Indiana)
Boone County approves moratorium on new data centers (WRTV)
Political newcomers set to join Boone County Commissioners and Council for big year ahead (The Lebanon Reporter (via Yahoo News))
Commissioners (Boone County, Indiana)
Commissioners (Bob Brennan for Boone County Commissioner (campaign site))
2026 General Election Candidates (August 13, 2026) (Boone County Clerk)
Staff directory: Jason Plunkett, Town Council President, District 2 (Town of Zionsville)
About (Bob Brennan for Boone County Commissioner (campaign site))

What's included: the U.S. House, statewide offices, every Indiana House and Senate district on the ballot, Indiana's statewide public questions and judicial retention questions, and county, township, city, town and school board races from the Indiana Election Division's candidate list.
Everything else: Local races (county, city, school board, judges) and anything else on your ballot are on your official sample ballot: IndianaVoters.in.gov.
Candidate lists: As of Sunday, October 18, 2026.
At the polls: Indiana law lets you bring a list of candidates and public questions into the polling place, including one stored on your phone, as long as you don't electioneer. IC 3-11-8-18.5

This is not an official ballot. Confirm your registration, polling place and ballot with your election office through vote.gov.