Harrison County Council, District 3

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]

Harrison 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: $-1,024,680 (LSA)
• MUST taskforce (LIT distribution talks): none found
• wheel tax: adopted
• 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

• Harrison County (county seat: Corydon) has a seven-member council: four members elected by district and three at large, serving four-year terms. The council sets salaries, the annual budget and special appropriations. As of October 2026 the county lists the district members as Kyle Nix (District 1), Joe Kellum (District 2), Holli Castetter (District 3) and Jake Blackman (District 4), with Richard Gerdon, Sherry Brown and Jeremy McKim at large ^[35]. Kyle Nix was elected council chairman and Jake Blackman vice-chairman on Jan. 12, 2026 ^[36].
• District 3 is decided by District 3 voters only. Incumbent Holli Castetter won the May 5, 2026 Republican primary over Karen Lopp, 502 votes (57.83%) to 366 (42.17%); Adam Schneider was unopposed in the Democratic primary with 454 votes (county report marked unofficial) ^[24].
• In 2022 Castetter was re-elected over the Democratic nominee, 69.71% to 30.29% ^[23].
• Key difference on the record: Castetter has opposed a local income tax increase and new spending such as the 2026 budget and salary ordinance; at a Sept. 1, 2026 meeting Councilor Sherry Brown said the county would have to raise taxes and told Castetter, 'But you don't have a plan.' Brown suggested Castetter was avoiding a tax increase because of re-election; Castetter replied, 'That's not the reason. It's just where my heart is and where it always has been' ^[27].
• Budget: Chairman Nix told an Aug. 27, 2026 budget workshop the county faced a $7,265,501 shortfall in the county general fund and $5,295,630 in the riverboat (casino revenue) fund, on a total budget of about $40 million, and pointed to declining casino revenue; the council is considering raising the local income tax from 1%, which Nix said is the lowest among Indiana counties with casinos, and Nix said a rise to 1.25% would bring in about $3 million ^{[33, 27]}. The Clarion News reported the initial 2027 budget reading set for Oct. 13 and final approval for Oct. 26 ^[34].
• Property tax relief: on Sept. 22, 2026 the council voted 4-3 to stop routing $2 million in property tax relief through the school corporations starting in 2027 and provide it through a county mechanism instead; Castetter, Kellum and McKim voted no after Lanesville schools superintendent Ryan Apple urged leaving it with the schools ^[34].
• Justice center: on Feb. 23, 2026 the council unanimously adopted Ordinance 2026-02 authorizing up to $19 million in general obligation bonds to renovate the county justice center (7-0), then appropriated $19,465,000 from the bond fund on May 11, 2026 (6-0) ^{[37, 29, 38]}.
• Public safety: in June 2026 the council approved, 4-3, agreements under which schools reimburse the county $80,000 per sheriff's patrol officer serving as a school resource officer; in its 2027 budget work it approved two of the six additional patrol officers Sheriff Nick Smith requested ^{[32, 34]}.
• No data center, solar or wind matters were found in the council minutes and news coverage reviewed.

Candidates on the ballot

Key points

• Harrison County (county seat: Corydon) has a seven-member council: four members elected by district and three at large, serving four-year terms. The council sets salaries, the annual budget and special appropriations. (Harrison County, Indiana)
• Harrison County government adopted a $47.0 million budget for 2026, about $1,163 per resident; that is +21.0% 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 -9.4% versus prior law once fully in effect (2028, since delayed to 2029 by HEA 1210). (Indiana Legislative Services Agency)

Sources