Kosciusko 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]

Kosciusko 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: $-1,872,600 (LSA)
• MUST taskforce (LIT distribution talks): named reps
• wheel tax: discussed
• 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

• The Kosciusko County Council is the county's fiscal body; it adopts the budget, sets wages and tax levies and approves tax abatements, while contracts and policy bans come from the county commissioners, as council members noted in September 2026 ^[39]. Each 2026 council race is a single district seat.
• Not an open seat: incumbent Tony Ciriello is on the ballot ^[25].
• Primary: both candidates were unopposed on May 5, 2026 — Ciriello with 1,145 Republican votes and Holloway with 313 Democratic votes ^[40].
• Holloway announced on Aug. 3, 2026 that she was suspending her campaign and is no longer seeking the office, but her name remains on the ballot because she missed the deadline to withdraw ^{[26, 25]}.
• 2027 budget: on Sept. 10, 2026 the council adopted the 2027 budget 5-0, with the 2026 wage study implemented plus a 3% raise for non-merit employees and a $5,000 raise for merit officers; the advertised total county tax rate was 0.3353 (versus 0.1952 for 2026 after final adjustments), which the auditor's office said would likely be lowered after final assessed values are certified ^[39].
• Tax policy: council members attended state training on the 2025 property-tax and LIT changes, and in July 2026 the council named Joe Irwin to the new MUST committee on LIT distribution ^[38].
• Surveillance funding: after a September 2026 public forum, the council voted to withhold county funding for license-plate-reader cameras and to require council approval before funding other surveillance technologies ^[39].
• No candidate forum, debate or questionnaire for this race was found.

Candidates on the ballot

Key points

• The Kosciusko County Council is the county's fiscal body; it adopts the budget, sets wages and tax levies and approves tax abatements, while contracts and policy bans come from the county commissioners, as council members noted in September 2026. (Kosciusko County Council)
• Kosciusko County government adopted a $87.9 million budget for 2026, about $1,087 per resident; that is +41.6% 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 -8.7% versus prior law once fully in effect (2028, since delayed to 2029 by HEA 1210). (Indiana Legislative Services Agency)

Sources