Dearborn County Council, District 2

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].

Dearborn 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: $-1,479,160 (LSA)
• MUST taskforce (LIT distribution talks): none found
• wheel tax: none found
• 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.

About this race

• Dearborn County (county seat: Lawrenceburg) has a seven-member county council: four members elected from districts and three elected at large. The county website describes the council as the county's fiscal body, which sets the property tax levy, adopts the annual budget, makes appropriations and fixes county salaries ^[29].
• Recurring council business in 2025–2026, according to council minutes: tax abatements and economic revitalization areas (the Moore Drive area for a Whitewater Processing plant in 2025 and a 20-year personal property tax abatement for Givaudan Flavors Corporation, 'Project Compass', in August 2026), each approved on split votes with members Glenn Wright and Dennis Kraus voting no ^{[23, 26, 28]}; road and bridge money, including commitment letters for the county's roughly $600,000 shares of two federal-aid bridge projects (Bridge #73 St. Peters Road and Bridge #218 Lower Dillsboro) ^[30]; and public-safety money from local income tax funds, including EMS LIT money for a Moores Hill ambulance remount and correctional LIT money for jail part-time and holiday pay ^{[30, 28]}.
• In March 2026 the Lawrenceburg Conservancy District asked the council for $4.2 million from the County General fund; a motion to approve the joint resolution as written failed for lack of a second, and the council unanimously approved support of up to $420,000 ^[31].
• The council's 2026 budget was adopted unanimously on September 5, 2025, and the council held its budget hearing for the 2027 budget on September 2, 2026 ^{[32, 33]}.
• District 2 is held by Dan Lansing, who is on the 2026 ballot as the Democratic nominee; Republican Tom Palmer is the challenger ^{[22, 24, 10]}.
• May 5, 2026 primaries (certified results): Tom Palmer won the Republican nomination with 554 votes to Steve Neal's 551; Dan Lansing was unopposed for the Democratic nomination with 352 votes ^[34]. No candidate forums or debates were found in sources reviewed.

Who holds this seat now

Dan Lansing (Democratic (2026 ballot)) — on this ballot, standing again.

Lansing's record in the job

• January 2025 and January 2026: Appointed by the council as its member on the Dearborn County Planning Commission and the Greendale Economic Development Commission ^{[23, 25]}.
• January 28, 2025: Seconded and voted for Resolution 2025-001 establishing the Moore Drive Economic Revitalization Area, which passed 4–2 ^[23].
• March 25, 2025: Voted against appointing council member Doug Baker to the Redevelopment Commission (passed 4–3); voted for an EMS LIT-funded stipend for the EMS director (passed 4–2); moved and voted for the real property tax abatement statement of benefits for the Moore Drive area (passed 4–1, with one abstention) ^[26].
• May 15, 2025: Voted against using $130,000 for a park Stellar grant match and against the $1 million Bright Meadows Stellar grant application (both passed 4–3); voted for a $100,000 Redevelopment donation to the Park Board for the grant match (passed 6–1) ^[27].
• August 10, 2026: Voted yes on Resolution 2026-007, a 20-year personal property tax abatement for Givaudan Flavors Corporation, which passed 4–2; moved approval of a $55,000 Surveyor's truck purchase and of $26,550 for glass around the jail booking area (both unanimous) ^[28].

Candidates on the ballot

Key points

• In March 2026 the Lawrenceburg Conservancy District asked the council for $4.2 million from the County General fund; a motion to approve the joint resolution as written failed for lack of a second, and the council unanimously approved support of up to $420,000. (Dearborn County Council)
• Dearborn County government adopted a $48.6 million budget for 2026, about $942 per resident; that is +20.9% 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 -9.1% versus prior law once fully in effect (2028, since delayed to 2029 by HEA 1210). (Indiana Legislative Services Agency)

Sources