Franklin County Commissioner, District 2

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]

Franklin 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.

• 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: $-651,950 (LSA)
• MUST taskforce (LIT distribution talks): none found
• wheel tax: adopted
• fiscal consultant named in records: Reedy

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

• Franklin County (county seat Brookville) has a three-member Board of Commissioners that meets every other Wednesday at 10 a.m. ^{[28, 23]}. Whether District 2 is voted on countywide or only by district residents was not confirmed in sources reviewed.
• District 2 includes Brookville, Metamora and Butler townships, according to candidate Nikki Day's campaign introduction ^[29].
• Open seat: Commissioner John Heis was not on the May 2026 primary ballot ^[24]. In the Brookville American's candidate Q&A, District 1 candidate John Palmer said the county is "losing two experienced Commissioners at the end of this year," and Day said she ran after learning two commissioners would not seek re-election ^[30].
• May 5, 2026 Republican primary (unofficial, as reported by 812 Now): Bob Evans 33%, Tom Linkel 25%, Brian Patterson 24%, Nikki Day 18% ^[24]. The Brookville American reported that results were unofficial until certified ^[25].
• Key issues: data centers (the county has had a moratorium while rules are written), a new county wheel tax that candidates said should go to roads, bridges and low-water crossings, county employee pay, tourism and farmland protection ^{[30, 26]}.
• A "Meet the Candidates" event was livestreamed March 28, 2026, before the primary ^[31]. No general-election forum for this race was found.

Candidates on the ballot

Key points

• District 2 includes Brookville, Metamora and Butler townships, according to candidate Nikki Day's campaign introduction. (The Brookville American)
• Ord. 2025-06 (Aug 1, 2025, 5-1) set the local highway user tax at the statutory maximum ($50 passenger, $80 over 11,000 lb); Reedy estimated about $1.5M a year. A $723,000 road appropriation was tabled May 26, 2026. (portal.sbsportals.com)
• Franklin County government adopted a $25.3 million budget for 2026, about $1,086 per resident; that is +37.8% compared with 2023. (Indiana Gateway for Government Units)

Sources