Floyd 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].

Floyd 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: $-1,276,250 (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

• The Floyd County Council has seven members: four elected from districts and three at large. All four district seats end in 2026; the at-large seats end in 2028 ^[22].
• District 2 has 15 precincts, according to the official primary results ^[24].
• Open seat: Freiberger is running for Lafayette Township Trustee rather than re-election ^{[24, 27]}.
• May 5, 2026 primaries (official results): Josh Banet was unopposed for the Republican nomination with 1,361 votes; Calle Janson was unopposed for the Democratic nomination with 1,139 votes ^[24].
• Other district seats: District 1 Democratic incumbent Tony Toran and District 3 Republican incumbent Danny Short are seeking re-election; in District 4, Republican Andy Lemon is running and incumbent Denise Konkle is not ^{[27, 28]}.
• Spelling: Louisville Public Media spells the Democratic candidate's name "Jansen"; the official primary results and the state list use "Janson" ^{[28, 24, 10]}.
• Budget context: SEA 1 restructures property tax deductions and credits and local income taxes; Council President Short said residents could eventually pay the same or less in property taxes but more in income taxes ^[26].
• No candidate forums or debates for this race were found in sources reviewed.

Who holds this seat now

Jim Freiberger (Republican) — not on this ballot.

Republican Jim Freiberger has represented District 2 on the Floyd County Council since winning the seat in 2022; his term ends in 2026 ^{[22, 23]}. He is not running for re-election and instead won the May 2026 Republican primary for Lafayette Township Trustee ^[24].

Freiberger's record in the job

• May 2022: Defeated incumbent council member Adam Roberts in the District 2 Republican primary with 65.56% of the vote ^[23].
• 2026: Listed as the 2nd District council member with a term ending in 2026 ^[22].
• May 5, 2026: Won the Republican primary for Lafayette Township Trustee, 547 votes (67.7%) to 261 for Troy E. Striegel (official results) ^[24].
• Council context during his term: in 2024 Floyd County raised its overall local income tax rate from 1.39% to 1.89% ^[25]. In late 2025, Council President Danny Short said the 2026 budget would not see major changes under the 2025 property-tax law (SEA 1), that "the hit to the county isn't huge, especially next year," and that "there's still a lot of unknowns" ^[26]. Freiberger's individual votes on these matters were not found in sources reviewed.

Candidates on the ballot

Key points

• Open seat: Freiberger is running for Lafayette Township Trustee rather than re-election. (Floyd County Clerk)
• Floyd County government adopted a $72.5 million budget for 2026, about $882 per resident; that is +73.0% 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 -8.9% versus prior law once fully in effect (2028, since delayed to 2029 by HEA 1210). (Indiana Legislative Services Agency)

Sources