LaGrange 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]

LaGrange 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: $-875,210 (LSA)
• MUST taskforce (LIT distribution talks): none found
• wheel tax: none found
• fiscal consultant named in records: Peters Franklin

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 is a single council seat. Incumbent Jim Young, the council president, is seeking re-election ^{[24, 10]}.
• In the May 5, 2026 Republican primary Young defeated Tyler M. Randol, 442 votes (55.88%) to 349 (44.12%); Jay Benak was unopposed for the Democratic nomination with 158 votes ^{[24, 25]}. Cory W. Stewart is on the ballot as an independent ^[10].
• LaGrange County's council has seven members, four elected from districts and three at large; all seven current members are Republicans: Jeff Campos (District 1), Ryan Riegsecker (District 2), Harold Gingerich (District 3), Jim Young (District 4) and at-large members Jeff Brill, Karen Eagleson and Mike Strawser ^[22]. Young was kept as council president and Campos as vice president in January 2026 ^[23].
• Budget and building issues: the council adopted the 2026 budget unanimously on October 14, 2025 ^[26]. The county plans a new highway garage; in March 2026 the council held off on a $10,344,952 Major Moves fund appropriation for it until a joint session, where commissioners and council voted unanimously to reserve all remaining Major Moves money for the garage, saying this would lessen county borrowing ^{[31, 32]}. In June 2026 the two bodies restricted the fund to the garage project and moved the county's revolving loan fund balance into it ^{[34, 27]}.
• In November 2025 the commissioners and council restated the county's capital improvement plan for local income tax revenue, which the joint ordinance estimated at $2,755,137 a year, and the council heard a presentation on financing options for the proposed highway facility ^[35].
• Other recurring items: monthly transfers from the general fund to the county's self-funded health insurance plan ($300,000 in January and $1,000,000 in March 2026), tax abatements for local manufacturers, and jail purchases paid from the commissary fund ^{[23, 31, 36, 37]}. At August 2026 hearings on the 2027 budget, the commissioners asked for a 5% raise for county employees ^[38].
• No candidate forum or debate coverage for this race was found.

Candidates on the ballot

Key points

• Budget and building issues: the council adopted the 2026 budget unanimously on October 14, 2025. (LaGrange County Council)
• LaGrange County government adopted a $45.0 million budget for 2026, about $1,090 per resident; that is +28.7% 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