Jennings County Council, District 2

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 has changed in this job lately

Changes in the law the next officeholder will work under, most distant first.

1. 2023

   State law gave counties with 185,000 to 300,000 residents until September 1, 2023, to opt in to a nine-member council elected entirely from single-member districts ^{[1, 4, 19]}.

2. April 15, 2025

   Gov. Mike Braun signed Senate Enrolled Act 1, a property tax law he called historic tax relief; Rep. Greg Porter (D-Indianapolis) called it a lose-lose and said it would cost local governments and schools up to $1.8 billion over three years ^[20].

3. 2025

   SEA 1 rewrote county local income taxes: existing rates were set to be replaced by a new structure, local income tax councils were to be eliminated with the county fiscal body becoming the adopting body, the total county expenditure rate was capped at 2.9%, and cities and towns with at least 3,500 residents gained the power to adopt their own rate ^[16].

4. March 12, 2026

   House Enrolled Act 1210 delayed the local income tax overhaul by one year; current ordinances now expire January 1, 2029, the repeal of local income tax councils and the levy freeze is also delayed a year, and counties may form a Municipal Unit Strategic Taskforce with city and town representatives to negotiate revenue sharing ^{[17, 21]}.

5. 2026

   Senate tax committee chair Travis Holdman (R-Markle) said the delay aims for a more streamlined, tailored plan because counties are not all alike, while Amy Krieg of the organization representing cities and towns said the issue will be a multi-year discussion ^[21].

Jennings 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: $-635,010 (LSA)
• MUST taskforce (LIT distribution talks): convened
• wheel tax: none found
• 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

• Open seat in effect: incumbent Mandy Creech lost the May 5, 2026 Republican primary. Certified results: Kendall Wildey 552, Lance Schaefer 267, Mandy Creech 229. Democrat Russell Henderson was unopposed with 163 votes ^[24].
• Jennings County (county government center in Vernon) has a seven-member county council; the county lists Dave Woodall, Eugene Rudicel, Jerry Lamb, Mike Gerth, Mandy Creech, Tina Ellis and David Cheatham as members ^[23]. Four members are elected from districts and the rest at-large; Districts 1 through 4 were each on the 2022 ballot ^[22]. Tina Ellis was elected council president in January 2026 ^[30].
• Budget: on Oct. 14, 2025 the council unanimously adopted a 2026 budget of $24,298,404 with a tax levy of $7,369,668 and a tax rate of 0.7427 ^[27]. The county treasurer has been placing reserves in the Trust Indiana investment pool; the minutes reported a balance of about $21.8 million in July 2026 ^[31].
• Property-tax law (SEA 1): the council held a July 16, 2025 work session with its financial advisers, Reedy Financial, on how Senate Bill 1 and House Bill 1461 would affect the county budget ^[32]. In May 2026 members discussed the new Municipal Unit Strategic Taskforce (MUST) on local income tax distribution and a decision due by October ^[33]; the council formally convened MUST, with a first meeting at City Hall on Sept. 28, 2026 ^[34].
• Spending control: in March 2026 the council voted that spending from the Rainy Day, Safety LIT, Riverboat and Cumulative Courthouse funds must come before the council, while allowing the commissioners to use up to 25% ($74,000) of the Cumulative Courthouse fund without further approval ^[28].
• Public safety and facilities: recent council actions include $485,000 from the Rainy Day fund for a new courthouse HVAC system and $20,600.02 from Safety LIT for EMS body armor (August 2025) ^[25], a second jail transport vehicle (July 2026) ^[31], and a resolution rescinding a 2022 agreement on the sheriff's jail commissary fund so that spending beyond state recommendations needs council approval (August 2026) ^[35]. EMS presented a new ambulance in May 2026 ^[33].
• Roads and bridges: in November 2025 the council voted 5-1 to sign a commitment letter for federal aid for Bridge 188 and Bridge 65; if Bridge 188 is funded, the county share was put at $3,229,600 ^[36]. In July 2026 it paid a $494,724.13 Community Crossings paving invoice from CEDIT funds ^[31].
• Economic development: the council accepted a tax-abatement compliance report in April 2026 and approved a three-year personal-property tax phase-in for Decatur Mold's $430,000 equipment investment in August 2026 ^{[37, 35]}.
• No candidate forums, debates or news coverage of this race were found in sources reviewed.

Who holds this seat now

Mandy Gauger Creech (Republican) — not on this ballot.

Republican Mandy Creech holds the District 2 seat, which she won in 2022. She sought re-election but finished third in the May 2026 Republican primary, so the seat will change hands ^{[22, 23, 24]}.

Creech's record in the job

• May and November 2022: Unopposed in the Republican primary (534 votes); won the general election with 1,522 votes to Democrat Gary M. Driver's 750 ^[22].
• Aug. 12, 2025: Seconded the motion allowing the sheriff to apply for a fully grant-funded K-9 for the school resource officer (passed unanimously) ^[25].
• Sept. 9, 2025: Seconded a motion to table a highway maintenance-truck purchase until the council met with the commissioners, financial advisers and highway department; the motion was later withdrawn ^[26].
• Oct. 14, 2025: Present for the unanimous adoption of the 2026 budget ($24.3 million; tax rate 0.7427) ^[27].
• March 10, 2026: Seconded approval of $99,902.55 in encumbrances (passed unanimously) ^[28].
• June 9, 2026: Seconded the appointment of a new EMS board member (passed unanimously) ^[29].
• May 5, 2026: Finished third in the Republican primary for District 2 with 229 votes ^[24].

Candidates on the ballot

Key points

• Open seat in effect: incumbent Mandy Creech lost the May 5, 2026 Republican primary. Certified results: Kendall Wildey 552, Lance Schaefer 267, Mandy Creech 229. Democrat Russell Henderson was unopposed with 163 votes. (Indiana Election Division)
• Jennings County government adopted a $26.4 million budget for 2026, about $956 per resident; that is +1.0% 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 -8.8% versus prior law once fully in effect (2028, since delayed to 2029 by HEA 1210). (Indiana Legislative Services Agency)

Sources