LaPorte 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]

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].

LaPorte 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: $-2,720,470 (LSA)
• MUST taskforce (LIT distribution talks): convened
• wheel tax: declined
• 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

• Incumbent Mark Yagelski (Democrat) faces Republican James Baker ^[10].
• May 5, 2026 primary (election-night report): both were unopposed; Yagelski received 1,334 Democratic votes and Baker 714 Republican votes ^[26].
• The LaPorte County Council is the county's fiscal body: it sets the budget, tax rates and county pay and approves additional appropriations and hiring requests. It has seven members, four elected by district and three at large; the four district seats are on the 2026 ballot ^{[27, 10]}.
• Budget pressure: at the Oct. 27, 2025 meeting the council was told the proposed 2026 budget, including a 4% property-tax levy increase worth about $1.4 million, might still leave a $4–5 million deficit; the council discussed a 10% across-the-board cut and approved a budget that largely held spending at 2025 levels ^[28].
• EMS: on Jan. 26, 2026 the council voted 6-1 to appropriate $5,126,961 from the General Fund to establish the county EMS budget ^[23]. A proposed new 0.20% Emergency Medical Services local income tax (LIT) went to a public hearing on Sept. 21, 2026, with a second reading set for Sept. 28 ^[29]; the outcome was not found in the sources reviewed.
• Wheel tax: after 2025 state legislation, including the property-tax law (SEA 1), reduced local revenue, the council considered a county wheel tax and vehicle excise surtax to qualify for state lane-mile road funding ^{[30, 31]}. On Aug. 24, 2026 a version cut to the statutory minimum ($7.50 per car or motorcycle, $5 for larger vehicles) with a two-year sunset failed 3-4 (Kessler, Kiel and Koronka yes; Heath, Mollenhauer, Pressel and Yagelski no) ^[24].
• Data centers: county commissioners approved an ordinance in May 2026 limiting data centers in unincorporated areas to industrial zones with zoning-appeals approval; LaPorte city and Michigan City have approved data center projects ^{[32, 33]}.
• An August 2026 derecho left the county with about $5.9 million in storm-related costs reported at an Aug. 24 joint council-commissioners workshop, pending FEMA reimbursement ^[34].
• No general-election forum coverage for this race could be reviewed for this profile.

Who holds this seat now

Mark Yagelski (Democratic) — not on this ballot.

Mark Yagelski (Democrat) has held the District 3 seat since winning it in 2022 and is running again ^{[22, 10]}. In council votes he has often opposed refilling vacant positions and has pushed to cut county office costs in Michigan City ^{[23, 24]}.

Yagelski's record in the job

• Nov. 2022: Won District 3 over Republican Deborah Vance, 3,647 (56.2%) to 2,843 ^[22].
• Jan. 26, 2026: Cast the only no vote on the $5,126,961 General Fund appropriation that established the EMS budget (passed 6-1) ^[23].
• Jan. 26, 2026: Voted no on replacing an animal shelter assistant director (6-1), a treasurer's clerk (5-2) and a plan commission coordinator (6-1) ^[23].
• July 27, 2026: Moved to approve one criminal clerk position, rather than the clerk's full request, and to have the clerk return later about a Superior Court 3 clerk ^[25].
• Aug. 24, 2026: Voted no on the county wheel tax and excise surtax (failed 3-4) ^[24].
• Aug. 24, 2026: Moved not to fill a commercial/income deputy job in the Michigan Township Assessor's office and have the county assessor's office absorb the duties (later tabled), and asked council liaisons to begin planning to reduce hours or close county offices in Michigan City ^[24].
• Serves as council liaison on building maintenance, including heating and air-conditioning problems in the Michigan City and LaPorte courthouses ^{[23, 25]}.

Candidates on the ballot

Key points

• The LaPorte County Council is the county's fiscal body: it sets the budget, tax rates and county pay and approves additional appropriations and hiring requests. (LaPorte County Government)
• LaPorte County government adopted a $92.7 million budget for 2026, about $833 per resident; that is +23.7% 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 -5.7% versus prior law once fully in effect (2028, since delayed to 2029 by HEA 1210). (Indiana Legislative Services Agency)

Sources