2026 General Election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Hamilton County Council, District 4

Voted on across Hamilton County, in district 4.

Find your exact ballot All Hamilton County races

Who votes on this seat: Only voters who live in District 4 vote in this race. 2026 General Election Candidate List

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 the law puts in this job (13)

Serves as the county fiscal body under the name of the county council ^[1].
Sets the county property tax rate and other countywide rates not fixed by state law ^[2].
Appropriates county money; except as otherwise provided by law, money may leave the county treasury only under an appropriation the council makes ^[2].
Adopts the annual budget at a yearly meeting where the county auditor presents budget estimates; budget ordinances must be read on two separate days, and funding an item above the estimates takes a three-fourths vote ^[14].
Adopts a separate salary ordinance setting the pay of county officers and employees and the number of deputies and employees in each office, after considering the commissioners' recommendations ^{[14, 3]}.
Sets pay schedules and job classifications paid from the county general, highway, park and other funds, except that each local health department board sets pay for its own staff ^[3].
Controls spending and revenue collection in the county, including special spending requests during the year ^[6].
Authorizes by ordinance the bonds that fund county road and bridge projects and can create a county housing authority by resolution ^[8].
Serves as the county legislative body as well as the fiscal body in Lake and St. Joseph counties ^[8].
Declares a commissioner's seat vacant when the commissioner moves out of the county or district, and in certain cases can remove a county commissioner from office ^{[15, 13]}.
Becomes the body that adopts county local income tax rates under the 2025 SEA 1 overhaul, replacing local income tax councils; the change is now scheduled for ordinances adopted starting July 1, 2028 ^{[16, 17]}.
Has its adopted budget, tax rate and levies reviewed by the state Department of Local Government Finance, whose county budget order certifies the approved budget, tax rate and levy for each fund ^[18].
Does not run county departments day to day; the commissioners provide administrative oversight and the council provides fiduciary oversight ^[5].

Hamilton 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.

This office's 2026 budget

$502,624

0.2% of the county's adopted 2026 budget · 15% less than 2019, before inflation

2019 $589,5342026 $502,624

The year-by-year figures

Adopted budget, all funds, 2019-2026 (not adjusted for inflation)

2019: $589,534
2020: $922,957
2021: $906,286
2022: $1,050,127
2023: $1,073,731
2024: $1,184,000
2025: $380,483
2026: $502,624

Budget lines counted: 0061 COUNTY COUNCIL

Adopted 2026 county budget (Form 1 line items, Form 4B) and earlier years' budgets

Also on the record for this office

SEA 1 estimated county-unit revenue change in 2028 vs prior law: $-11,534,000 (LSA)
MUST taskforce (LIT distribution talks): none found
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.

General Fund cash, in days of spending · 2025

233 days

End-of-2025 General Fund cash divided by a year's disbursements, times 365.

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: high (council and commissioners jointly): spending and appropriation decisions

Position 4 of 10 counties with 150,000 or more residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

Share of the 2025 General Fund budget spent · 2025

95.3%

Actual General Fund spending divided by the certified budget.

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: high (council appropriates; commissioners and officers spend)

Position 10 of 11 counties with 150,000 or more residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

County debt per resident · 2025

$369

Debt outstanding at the end of 2025 (annual financial report).

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: high (council authorizes borrowing; commissioners initiate many projects)

Position 4 of 11 counties with 150,000 or more residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

Budget growth, 2023 to 2026 · 2023-2026

+45.5%

Adopted budget, all funds, not adjusted for inflation.

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: high (council adopts the budget)

Position 2 of 10 counties with 150,000 or more residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

SEA 1 estimate for 2028 · 2028 (LSA estimate)

-10.3%

Legislative Services Agency estimate of the county government's revenue change under the 2025 property tax law, compared with prior law.

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: low: set by state law (SEA 1-2025); local rate choices from 2028 change the outcome

Position 7 of 10 counties with 150,000 or more residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source

Property tax cap credits · 2026

7.6%

Tax-cap (circuit breaker) credits as a share of the 2026 levy: revenue the county does not collect because of the caps.

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: low: set mainly by the constitutional caps and the combined rates of all units in the county

Position 8 of 11 counties with 150,000 or more residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

Local income tax share of county revenue · 2026

40.9%

How much of the county's revenue comes from local income tax.

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: partial: the council adopts local income tax rates within limits set by state law

Position 3 of 10 counties with 150,000 or more residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

Meeting minutes online · 2026-10

Posted as text

Whether the council's or commissioners' minutes are posted online (the better of the two), checked Oct. 2026.

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: high (commissioners and council decide what they post)

About this race

The Hamilton County Council is the county's fiscal body. It has seven members: three elected at large and four elected from districts (Tim Griffin, District 1; Amy Massillamany, District 2; Mark Hall, District 3; Ken Alexander, District 4). Brad Beaver was council president in September 2026 ^{[23, 26]}.
Budget pressures: the county's financial consultant told the council in 2025 that SEA 1 would reduce property-tax revenue and limit levy growth after 2026. For 2027 the council is weighing about 17 new positions tied to two new courts and related offices, plus staff for the new Public Safety Communications Center and a Public Safety Training Center; the county reported a cash balance of about $115 million ^{[25, 26]}.
This is not an open seat: incumbent Ken Alexander (Republican) faces Democrat Jason E. Frank. Both were unopposed in the May 5, 2026 primaries, Alexander with 5,998 votes and Frank with 5,151 (unofficial) ^{[27, 24]}.
Both candidates are engineers with construction and infrastructure backgrounds. Alexander lists public safety, "smart infrastructure" and keeping taxes low as priorities; Frank says development "has outpaced investments in roads, infrastructure, and public services" and emphasizes protecting farmland and green space ^{[28, 29]}.
No candidate forums or debates for this race were found in sources reviewed.

Candidates on the ballot

Ken Alexander

RepublicanIncumbent

Republican Ken Alexander is the District 4 incumbent, first elected in 2018, and a construction executive and former Westfield public works director. He was unopposed in the May 2026 Republican primary ^{[22, 28, 27]}.

Alexander's background

Purdue engineering graduate (1996); worked as a construction manager for Brenwick Development in Carmel and on projects including the Discovery Channel's world headquarters, and was support services director for the Eskenazi Hospital project, according to his candidate-submitted bio ^[28].
Became Westfield's public works director in 2013 and led construction of Grand Park; was the first executive director of the Grand Park Sports Campus ^{[28, 22]}.
Founded GKA Services, a construction and development oversight firm, in 2019 ^[22]. His 2026 bio says he is currently vice president of construction for a services firm ^[28].
Council member since his first election in 2018; council president in 2023 ^[22].

Alexander's positions

Public safety & jail

Says he is "committed to supporting public safety" ^[28].

Roads & infrastructure

Lists "smart infrastructure" as a priority ^[28].

Budget & taxes

Lists "keeping taxes low" as a priority ^[28].

How Alexander would run the office

His candidate-submitted bio lists priorities but no specific proposals ^[28].

Alexander on the current officeholder

Is the current officeholder. No statements about his challenger were found in sources reviewed.

How Alexander got on the ballot

Unopposed in the May 5, 2026 Republican primary for District 4, with 5,998 votes (unofficial) ^[27].

What we could not find about Alexander

No campaign website was found; his bio directs voters to Facebook, which was not reviewed.
His individual votes and statements in 2025–2026 council meetings (2026 and 2027 budgets, SEA 1 responses, new court staffing) were not found in coverage reviewed; council minutes were not reviewed.
Results of his 2022 re-election could not be reviewed for this profile.
The name of his current employer is given in his candidate-submitted bio in a form that could not be confirmed.
Coverage by Current Publishing could not be reviewed for this profile.
No 2026 endorsements or campaign-finance figures were found in sources reviewed.

Sources for Alexander

Ken Alexander to serve as County Council president (The Hamilton County Reporter)

Jason E Frank

Democratic

Democrat Jason Frank is a civil engineer who says he has more than 30 years of experience leading infrastructure projects. He was unopposed in the May 2026 Democratic primary ^{[28, 29, 27]}.

Frank's background

Describes himself as a professional civil engineer with more than 30 years of engineering and project-leadership experience, including major aviation and infrastructure programs ^[29].
Holds a bachelor's degree in civil engineering and an MBA from the University of Illinois, according to his candidate-submitted bio; says he moved to Westfield in 2010 ^[28].

Frank's positions

Roads & infrastructure

Says "Hamilton County is growing fast, but our infrastructure is not keeping pace" and that "Roads and utilities are lagging behind growth"; lists "Smarter Infrastructure Planning" as a priority ^[29].
Says development "has outpaced investments in roads, infrastructure, and public services" ^[28].

Zoning & land use

Lists "Protect Green Space & Farmland" and "Support Local Agriculture" as priorities and calls for "responsible, sustainable development" ^[29].
Says Hamilton County needs "responsible growth that balances new development with the infrastructure, planning, and preservation our communities deserve" ^[28].

Transparency

Lists "Preserve local voices in local decisions" and "Strengthen Local Voices" among his priorities and says residents should have a voice in decisions that shape the county's future ^{[29, 28]}.

How Frank would run the office

His website and bio list priorities (infrastructure planning, farmland and green-space protection, local input) but no specific budget, tax-rate or project proposals ^{[29, 28]}.

How Frank got on the ballot

Unopposed in the May 5, 2026 Democratic primary for District 4, with 5,151 votes (unofficial) ^[27].
Listed by the county election office as the Democratic candidate for County Council District 4 in the Nov. 3, 2026 general election ^[24].

What we could not find about Frank

No news coverage of his campaign was found beyond the candidate-submitted bio; coverage by Current Publishing could not be reviewed for this profile.
No statements found on SEA 1, the county budget, tax rates, public safety funding or the 2027 staffing requests.
No campaign-finance reports were reviewed.
No prior elected office was found in sources reviewed.
No statements about Alexander or the council's record were found on his website or in his candidate-submitted bio; his materials describe development as having outpaced infrastructure investment ^{[29, 28]}.
No endorsements are listed on his website ^[29]. No campaign-finance figures were found in sources reviewed.

Frank's campaign website

Sources for Frank

Meet the Candidates (candidate-submitted bios) (The Hamilton County Reporter)

Key points

Budget pressures: the county's financial consultant told the council in 2025 that SEA 1 would reduce property-tax revenue and limit levy growth after 2026. (The Hamilton County Reporter)
Hamilton County government adopted a $323.2 million budget for 2026, about $835 per resident; that is +45.5% 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 -10.3% versus prior law once fully in effect (2028, since delayed to 2029 by HEA 1210). (Indiana Legislative Services Agency)

Sources

Researched Sunday, October 11, 2026

Indiana Code 36-2-3-2: County council as fiscal body; size (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
Indiana Code 36-2-5-2: Tax rates and appropriations (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
Indiana Code 36-2-5-3: Compensation of officers and employees (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
Indiana Code 36-2-3-4: Council districts and at-large members (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
Commissioners Responsibilities (Boone County, Indiana)
About the County Council (Hancock County, Indiana)
Indiana Code 36-2-3-1: Application of chapter (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
County Government Overview: Indiana (National Association of Counties (NACo))
Indiana Code 36-2-3-3: Election and term of fiscal body (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
2026 General Election Candidate List (Indiana Election Division)
Monroe County voters put three incumbent Democrats back on county council (The B Square Bulletin (Dave Askins))
Indiana Code 3-8-1-22: Candidates for county council (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
2026 Indiana Candidate Guide (Indiana Election Division)
Indiana Code 36-2-5-11: Annual budget, tax rate and salary ordinances (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
Indiana Code 36-2-2-5: Qualifications and residency of members; district or countywide election (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
Major Changes to Expenditure Rate of LIT in SEA 1 (2025) (Barnes & Thornburg LLP)
Legislation Affecting Local Income Taxes (memorandum on HEA 1210-2026) (Indiana Department of Local Government Finance)
County Specific Information (Indiana Department of Local Government Finance)
Ken Alexander to serve as County Council president (The Hamilton County Reporter)
County Council (Hamilton County, Indiana)
Current Election Information (Hamilton County, Indiana)
Hamilton County Council wraps 2026 budget hearings (The Hamilton County Reporter)
Hamilton County Council weighs 2027 budget built around two new courts, Public Safety Center (LarryInFishers.com)
Primary Election Results (unofficial) (The Hamilton County Reporter)
Meet the Candidates (candidate-submitted bios) (The Hamilton County Reporter)
Jason Frank for Hamilton County Council District 4 (campaign website) (Jason Frank Election Committee)

What's included: the U.S. House, statewide offices, every Indiana House and Senate district on the ballot, Indiana's statewide public questions and judicial retention questions, and county, township, city, town and school board races from the Indiana Election Division's candidate list.
Everything else: Local races (county, city, school board, judges) and anything else on your ballot are on your official sample ballot: IndianaVoters.in.gov.
Candidate lists: As of Sunday, October 18, 2026.
At the polls: Indiana law lets you bring a list of candidates and public questions into the polling place, including one stored on your phone, as long as you don't electioneer. IC 3-11-8-18.5

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