Dubois County Council, District 1

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]

Dubois 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: $-715,560 (LSA)
• MUST taskforce (LIT distribution talks): convened
• wheel tax: none found
• 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

• This is an open seat. Daryl Schmitt, who had been chosen by caucus for District 1 in January 2023, left for the Indiana Senate in September 2024, and Deena Lewis was chosen to finish the term, which ends in 2026 ^{[27, 22]}. Lewis is not on the November ballot; no reviewed source explains why ^[23].
• The Free Press primary preview listed one candidate from each party for District 1, Republican Dylan Schmitt and Democrat Ed Cole, so neither faced a contested May 5, 2026 primary. Both appear on the general-election list ^{[28, 23]}.
• The Dubois County Council (county seat: Jasper) has seven members: four elected by district and three at-large. The county's website describes it as the fiscal body that adopts the annual budget, sets tax rates, can adopt the county local income tax and wheel tax, sets county salaries, and funds departments such as the highway department, health department and jail ^[26].
• Budget and taxes: The council's proposed 2025 budget was $36,633,324, and in November 2024 the Free Press reported that the county's budget received preliminary state approval without cuts, with the tax rate rising slightly from $0.3091 to $0.3102 ^{[24, 29]}. In February 2025, Indiana Legislative Services Agency estimates reported by the Free Press projected that the 2025 property-tax bill (Senate Bill 1) would cut Dubois County government revenue by about $348,550 in 2026, $700,640 in 2027 and $934,380 in 2028, the largest projected loss of any local unit in the county; the article noted the bill's final form was not yet settled ^[30].
• Staffing: In October 2025 the council voted 5-2 to fund a county administrator position (Doug Uebelhor and Alex Hohl voted no, citing cost and overlapping duties), but the commissioners deadlocked 1-1 and the position was not included in the 2026 budget. In July 2026 Commissioner Chad Blessinger said he hoped the council would fund it in the 2027 budget; the Free Press noted that county employee raises had been capped at 2% the year before ^[25].
• Zoning and energy projects: In October 2024 the council discussed, but did not finally vote on, a three-year moratorium on tax abatements for solar parks after declining an abatement for the Duff Solar Park ^[24]. In September 2026 the council approved $35,000 for a consultant to draft the county's first planning and zoning framework, described by officials as "zoning light" for large-scale projects, with public notice and hearings before construction; it would not apply to Jasper, Huntingburg or areas they already regulate ^[31].
• Public safety and roads: In November 2024 the council unanimously approved $35,000 for courthouse and annex security screening equipment and supported a $4.4 million federal-aid project to upgrade guardrails on 60 county bridges (county share $440,000, work planned for 2028) ^[29].
• No candidate forum or debate for this race was found in reviewed coverage ^[23].

Candidates on the ballot

Key points

• Budget and taxes: The council's proposed 2025 budget was $36,633,324, and in November 2024 the Free Press reported that the county's budget received preliminary state approval without cuts, with the tax rate rising slightly from $0.3091 to $0.3102. (Dubois County Free Press)
• Dubois County government adopted a $38.0 million budget for 2026, about $863 per resident; that is +17.6% 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 -6.1% versus prior law once fully in effect (2028, since delayed to 2029 by HEA 1210). (Indiana Legislative Services Agency)

Sources