Jay County Council, District 4

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]

Jay 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 county's council has no budget lines of its own (department 0061); council pay is probably budgeted under the commissioners or another department.

Also on the record for this office

• SEA 1 estimated county-unit revenue change in 2028 vs prior law: $-416,900 (LSA)
• MUST taskforce (LIT distribution talks): scheduled
• 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

• District 4 seat; Cindy Gagle Bracy (Republican incumbent) faces Greg Rittenhouse (Democrat) ^[10]. On the state candidate list, the only other Jay County office with more than one candidate is sheriff ^[10].
• Jay County (county seat: Portland) has a seven-member council: four district members and three at large. District 4 covers Noble, Madison, Wabash and the Wayne 4 and Wayne 7 precincts ^[22].
• Primary: Bracy was unopposed for the Republican nomination, and no Democrats filed for any of the four council seats before the primary ^[28]. Rittenhouse filed as a Democrat for District 4 in late June 2026, before the July 3 deadline for parties to fill ballot vacancies ^[29].
• Budget and SEA 1: in January 2026 the auditor told the council the county ended fiscal 2025 strong, largely because of higher income tax receipts, but that Jay was listed as receiving the biggest negative fiscal impact from the new local income tax structure under 2025's Senate Enrolled Act 1; she urged members to contact state legislators ^[23]. On July 8, 2026 the council, on motions by Bracy, voted unanimously to notify local taxing units of proposed 2027 local income tax changes (lowering the levy freeze rate from 0.20% to 0.10% and raising the public safety rate by 0.10 percentage point; a public hearing is required) and to name Faron Parr the council's representative on the Municipal Unit Strategic Taskforce ^{[30, 31]}.
• Projects: the council has worked through 2025-2026 on financing the countywide emergency radio system ($1.38 million appropriated from ARP funds in May 2026), a proposed public safety building, and possible general obligation bonds of about $5 million discussed with Baker Tilly ^{[24, 32, 26]}.
• No general-election forums or debates for this race were found in sources reviewed.

Candidates on the ballot

Key points

• Jay County (county seat: Portland) has a seven-member council: four district members and three at large. District 4 covers Noble, Madison, Wabash and the Wayne 4 and Wayne 7 precincts. (Jay County, Indiana)
• Jay County government adopted a $25.9 million budget for 2026, about $1,289 per resident; that is +24.5% 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 -4.6% versus prior law once fully in effect (2028, since delayed to 2029 by HEA 1210). (Indiana Legislative Services Agency)

Sources