Crawford County Council, District 3

What this office does

The county council is the county's fiscal body: it sets the county property tax rate, appropriates the money the county spends and fixes the pay and number of county employees ^{[1, 2, 3]}. Most councils have seven members, four elected from districts and three elected countywide (at large), though some larger counties elect all members by district ^{[1, 4]}. The board of commissioners runs county government day to day, while the council controls the money ^{[5, 6]}. Marion County has no separate county council; the 25-member Indianapolis City-County Council serves as the legislative body for the consolidated city-county government ^{[7, 8]}.

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; district seats and at-large seats are filled at alternating general elections ^[9]

Elected

On the partisan general-election ballot; in most counties four members are elected by district voters and three at large by the whole county, while counties of 400,000–700,000 residents elect seven members by district and opt-in counties of 185,000–300,000 elect nine by district ^{[4, 1]}. Every county council race on the 2026 state candidate list is a district seat ^[10]

At-large races

All three at-large seats are filled at the same election, so voters may choose up to three candidates and the top three vote-getters win; straight-ticket votes do not count in these multi-seat races ^{[4, 11]}

Term limit

None stated; the statute that sets the four-year term does not limit how many terms a member may serve ^[9]

Qualifications

Must have lived in the county at least one year, and in the district (for a district seat) 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 ^{[12, 13]}

Pay

Set locally in the council's annual ordinance fixing the compensation of county officers and employees ^{[3, 14]}

On the 2026 ballot

368 races; 147 contested ^[10]

What has changed in this job lately

Changes in the law the next officeholder will work under, most distant first.

1. 2023

   State law gave counties with 185,000 to 300,000 residents until September 1, 2023, to opt in to a nine-member council elected entirely from single-member districts ^{[1, 4, 19]}.

2. April 15, 2025

   Gov. Mike Braun signed Senate Enrolled Act 1, a property tax law he called historic tax relief; Rep. Greg Porter (D-Indianapolis) called it a lose-lose and said it would cost local governments and schools up to $1.8 billion over three years ^[20].

3. 2025

   SEA 1 rewrote county local income taxes: existing rates were set to be replaced by a new structure, local income tax councils were to be eliminated with the county fiscal body becoming the adopting body, the total county expenditure rate was capped at 2.9%, and cities and towns with at least 3,500 residents gained the power to adopt their own rate ^[16].

4. March 12, 2026

   House Enrolled Act 1210 delayed the local income tax overhaul by one year; current ordinances now expire January 1, 2029, the repeal of local income tax councils and the levy freeze is also delayed a year, and counties may form a Municipal Unit Strategic Taskforce with city and town representatives to negotiate revenue sharing ^{[17, 21]}.

5. 2026

   Senate tax committee chair Travis Holdman (R-Markle) said the delay aims for a more streamlined, tailored plan because counties are not all alike, while Amy Krieg of the organization representing cities and towns said the issue will be a multi-year discussion ^[21].

Crawford 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.

Also on the record for this office

• SEA 1 estimated county-unit revenue change in 2028 vs prior law: $98,190 (LSA)
• MUST taskforce (LIT distribution talks): none found
• wheel tax: adopted
• fiscal consultant named in records: other/in-house

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.

About this race

• The seven-member Crawford County Council (four districts, three at-large) is the county's fiscal body ^[22]. District 3 is a single seat.
• Open seat: incumbent Troy Mason did not file. Republican Douglas Howard McLain and Democrat Traci Eastridge Kerns were the only filers ^[23], and both were unopposed in the May 5, 2026 primary ^[25].
• Both candidates answered questions at an April 2026 forum sponsored by Indiana Farm Bureau and the Crawford County Chamber of Commerce. McLain stressed staying within budget; Kerns stressed deciding what is needed and serving the most people. The newspaper noted that Kerns did not receive the questions in advance, unlike other candidates ^[25]. No general-election forum or debate was found.
• County finances: in August 2025 the Crawford County Council voted 4-3 to adopt a $10-per-vehicle excise surtax and wheel tax starting in 2026, which the BMV estimated would raise about $138,000 a year for county roads and bridges; the article noted a 2025 state law making counties without the tax less likely to receive Community Crossings road grants ^[24]. A July 28, 2025 special council meeting agenda listed the wheel tax and local income tax ^[26].
• Public safety pay: in March 2025 the council voted 5-1 to advertise raises for sheriff's deputies, EMTs and the EMS director, paid from public-safety tax funds ^[27].
• Primary administration: The Clarion News reported problems with the May 5, 2026 primary, including "incorrect county council districts" listed on some early-voting and Election Day ballots, machine malfunctions, long lines and delayed counting; unofficial totals were revised after 61 more ballots were added ^[28].

Who holds this seat now

Troy Mason (Unknown) — not on this ballot.

The county website lists Troy Mason as the District 3 council member ^[22]. He did not file for the 2026 primary, so the seat is open ^[23].

Mason's record in the job

• August 26, 2025: Voted no, with Linda Smith and Bill Breeding, as the council adopted the $10 excise surtax and wheel tax 4-3 ^[24].

Candidates on the ballot

Key points

• Open seat: incumbent Troy Mason did not file. Republican Douglas Howard McLain and Democrat Traci Eastridge Kerns were the only filers, and both were unopposed in the May 5, 2026 primary. (Crawford County, Indiana)
• Crawford County government adopted a $13.4 million budget for 2026, about $1,272 per resident; that is +23.4% compared with 2023. (Indiana Gateway for Government Units)
• Legislative Services Agency estimate: the 2025 property tax law (SEA 1) changes the county government's net property tax levy by +2.0% versus prior law once fully in effect (2028, since delayed to 2029 by HEA 1210). (Indiana Legislative Services Agency)

Sources