Howard 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]

Howard 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: $-3,334,120 (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.

About this race

• Howard County (county seat: Kokomo) has a seven-member county council: four district members and three at-large members. Current members are Daryl Maple (at-large, president), Bryan Alexander (District 4, vice president), Martha Lake (at-large), Brett Sanders (at-large), John Roberts (District 1), Frank Faulkner (District 2) and Tim Cuthbert (District 3) ^{[22, 26]}. The council approves budgets, fixes tax rates and levies, authorizes borrowing and sets salaries ^[22].
• All four district seats were on the May 5, 2026 primary ballot. Democrats Sherry Roe (District 1), Nicholas Colon (District 2) and Cathy Stover (District 3) were unopposed; no Democrat filed in District 4, where Republican incumbent Bryan Alexander was unopposed in the primary ^{[30, 31]}.
• The jail is the largest county issue. Following two federal class-action lawsuits over jail overcrowding and conditions (2023 and 2024), the county reached a mediated settlement that, according to the county, requires it to build a new jail; the existing jail opened in 1993 ^[32]. On October 28, 2025 the council approved a 0.4% increase in the public safety local income tax (LIT) to pay debt on jail construction bonds. The city of Kokomo agreed to contribute its share of that revenue for two years (about $6.7 million), which the county said reduced the needed increase from about 1.3% ^{[33, 25]}. At that meeting, the president of the commissioners said the 0.4% increase would cost the average resident about $180 a year, and the council president gave a then-current cost projection of $125 million to $130 million, financed by a 20-year bond ^[25].
• Jail financing steps in 2026: the council approved a resolution for the jail project and its lease (May 26), an engagement letter pledging the increased LIT revenue to the jail (June 23), an amendment removing specific LIT distribution dates after state law changes (July 28), a $14,735,000 appropriation from the Jail Building Corporation fund for jail projects (July 28) and an interlocal agreement with the city of Kokomo on distributing the LIT revenue (August 25) ^{[34, 28, 29, 35]}. Ground was broken in early October 2026; The Kokomo Lantern reported an estimated cost of $132 million and completion slated for 2028 ^[36].
• The 2025 state property-tax and local income tax law (Senate Enrolled Act 1) comes up repeatedly in council discussion. In October 2025, Vice President Bryan Alexander said that from 2027 the county council will be the sole body levying the local income tax and that the specifics were still uncertain. In January 2026, council member Martha Lake cited uncertainty about state funding changes when the council tabled a request from the sheriff for $261,419 to add overnight and weekend jail nursing and mental-health staff ^{[25, 27, 26]}.
• Other 2026 council business included annual compliance approvals of tax abatements for Merrell Bros. and MB Real Estate Leasing (June 23) and the 2027 budget. Budget presentations began July 29, and the council scheduled an October 8, 2026 meeting to adopt the 2027 appropriations, tax rates and salary ordinance ^{[28, 29, 37]}. Minutes of the October 8 meeting were not available for review.
• Forums: a candidate forum organized by the Kokomo Chamber of Commerce, the Kokomo Tribune and the League of Women Voters was held over two nights. Republican candidates did not attend the first night (September 29), which featured state, commissioner and clerk races. The Kokomo Lantern reported that Republican council candidates Frank Faulkner, John Roberts and Tim Cuthbert did attend the second night ^[38]. Coverage of what council candidates said at the forum was not found in reviewed sources.
• District 1: Incumbent John J. Roberts (Republican) faces Sherry Roe (Democratic). Roberts defeated Bob Carrico in the Republican primary, 1,395 to 699; Roe was unopposed with 637 votes ^[30].

Candidates on the ballot

Key points

• The jail is the largest county issue. (Howard County, Indiana)
• Howard County government adopted a $71.3 million budget for 2026, about $850 per resident; that is +2.3% 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 -11.2% versus prior law once fully in effect (2028, since delayed to 2029 by HEA 1210). (Indiana Legislative Services Agency)

Sources