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2026 General Election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Miami County Commissioner, District 3

Voted on across Miami County, in district 3.

Find your exact ballotAll Miami County races

Who votes on this seat: Commissioners must live in their district, but every voter in the county votes for this seat. Indiana Code 36-2-2-5

What this office does

In 91 of Indiana's 92 counties, a three-member board of commissioners is the county executive and conducts the county's business in the board's name [1, 2]. Commissioners administer county government affairs that state law does not assign to a separately elected officer, while the county council, a separate elected body, controls budgets, tax rates and salaries [2, 3, 4]. Marion County is the exception: under the consolidated Indianapolis–Marion County government (Unigov), the mayor holds most executive power, and the elected county assessor, auditor and treasurer serve as the county commissioners, with duties that mostly concern county finances [5, 2, 6].

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; seats are staggered, so one or two of the three seats are filled at each general election [7]
Elected
On the partisan general-election ballot; each commissioner represents a district and must live in it, but in every county except Lake and St. Joseph the whole county votes on every commissioner seat; in Lake and St. Joseph counties only the district's voters choose [8, 9]
Term limit
None stated; the statute that sets the four-year term does not limit how many terms a commissioner may serve [7]
Qualifications
Must have lived in the county at least one year and in the commissioner district 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 [10, 9]
Pay
Set locally: the county council fixes the compensation of county officers in its annual salary ordinance [4, 11]
On the 2026 ballot
94 races; 41 contested [12]
What the law puts in this job (13)
  • Acts as the county executive and transacts county business under the name of the board of commissioners [1].
  • Runs the day-to-day administration of county government affairs that the state has not given to a separately elected county officer [2].
  • Serves as the county's legislative body, passing ordinances and resolutions, in every county except Lake, Marion and St. Joseph, where that power belongs to the county council [2].
  • Controls, maintains and supervises county property such as the courthouse, the jail building and county offices [13].
  • Oversees county roads and bridges, highway records, speed limits and stop signs [13].
  • Audits and approves claims for payment, takes bids and authorizes county contracts [13].
  • Prepares the commissioners' part of the county budget and recommends salaries to the county council, which must consider the executive's recommendations before adopting the salary ordinance [13, 11].
  • Handles zoning, planning, building regulation and economic development matters, and in many counties casts the final vote on rezoning requests such as proposed data centers [13, 14].
  • Sets voting precincts and polling places and appoints members of many county boards [13].
  • Establishes and maintains the county health department and can declare a local disaster emergency [2].
  • Draws the three commissioner districts and the county council districts, outside the largest counties where a commission or the council draws them [15, 16].
  • Does not set the county budget, property tax rate or salaries; those decisions belong to the county council, and no money leaves the county treasury without a council appropriation except as otherwise provided by law [3, 4, 11].
  • Does not run the offices of other elected county officials such as the sheriff, auditor or treasurer, which are separately elected [2].

Miami 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.

Commissioners' department (code 0068), 2026 adopted budget

$5,015,027

34% more than 2019, before inflation

2019: $3,734,2472020: $3,764,9202021: $4,161,7892022: $4,029,8202023: $4,047,8422024: $4,536,4802025: $4,517,6292026: $5,015,027
2019 $3,734,2472026 $5,015,027
The year-by-year figures

Adopted budget, all funds, 2019-2026 (not adjusted for inflation)

  • 2019: $3,734,247
  • 2020: $3,764,920
  • 2021: $4,161,789
  • 2022: $4,029,820
  • 2023: $4,047,842
  • 2024: $4,536,480
  • 2025: $4,517,629
  • 2026: $5,015,027

Budget lines counted: 0068 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

Adopted 2026 county budget (Form 1 line items, Form 4B) and earlier years' budgets

All members combined, 2026 budget lines (presidents are often paid more)

$77,487

From the county budget; verify against the county's 2026 salary ordinance. A line can include longevity pay or a second role.

  • In most counties this department also holds countywide costs such as group and liability insurance, contracts and some capital projects. It is the department total, not the cost of the board of commissioners.

Also on the record for this office

  • SEA 1 estimated county-unit revenue change in 2028 vs prior law: $-883,030 (LSA)
  • MUST taskforce (LIT distribution talks): none found
  • wheel tax: adopted
  • 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.

General Fund cash, in days of spending · 2025

277 days

End-of-2025 General Fund cash divided by a year's disbursements, times 365.

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: high (council and commissioners jointly): spending and appropriation decisions

Position 11 of 33 counties with 25,000 to 50,000 residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

Share of the 2025 General Fund budget spent · 2025

95.1%

Actual General Fund spending divided by the certified budget.

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: high (council appropriates; commissioners and officers spend)

Position 22 of 33 counties with 25,000 to 50,000 residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

County debt per resident · 2025

$98.44

Debt outstanding at the end of 2025 (annual financial report).

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: high (council authorizes borrowing; commissioners initiate many projects)

Position 16 of 27 counties with 25,000 to 50,000 residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

Budget growth, 2023 to 2026 · 2023-2026

+38.6%

Adopted budget, all funds, not adjusted for inflation.

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: high (council adopts the budget)

Position 2 of 34 counties with 25,000 to 50,000 residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

SEA 1 estimate for 2028 · 2028 (LSA estimate)

-8.8%

Legislative Services Agency estimate of the county government's revenue change under the 2025 property tax law, compared with prior law.

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: low: set by state law (SEA 1-2025); local rate choices from 2028 change the outcome

Position 23 of 34 counties with 25,000 to 50,000 residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source

Property tax cap credits · 2026

10.2%

Tax-cap (circuit breaker) credits as a share of the 2026 levy: revenue the county does not collect because of the caps.

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: low: set mainly by the constitutional caps and the combined rates of all units in the county

Position 8 of 34 counties with 25,000 to 50,000 residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

County bridges rated poor · 2025

9.7%

Share of county-owned bridges in poor condition (2025 inventory).

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: partial: commissioners set road and bridge priorities and local match; projects take years and depend on grants

Position 6 of 32 counties with 25,000 to 50,000 residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source

Highway spending per lane-mile · 2025

$4,362

2025 county highway spending per lane-mile of county road.

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: high (commissioners direct the highway department; council appropriates)

Position 29 of 34 counties with 25,000 to 50,000 residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

Meeting minutes online · 2026-10

Posted as text

Whether the council's or commissioners' minutes are posted online (the better of the two), checked Oct. 2026.

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: high (commissioners and council decide what they post)

About this race

  • The three-member board of commissioners is Miami County's executive body; commissioners have staggered four-year terms [34]. Current members are Mark Horner (District 1), Brenda Weaver (District 2) and Fred Musselman (District 3) [23].
  • Commissioner seats appear to be voted on countywide: in the 2022 Republican primary the District 3 commissioner race drew 2,030 votes while the four council-district races drew 229–526 each [25], and in 2014 the District 3 commissioner race drew 4,321 votes versus 1,341 for the District 1 council race [35].
  • Three-way race: incumbent Keith Fred Musselman (R), Democrat Helen Piotter and independent Jason Matthew McClure [12]. No 2026 primary results, forums or debates for this race were found.
  • Main 2025–2026 issues in county minutes: the switch of county 911 ambulance service to Parkview [28, 29]; data center rules [31, 33]; public objections to a Ranger Power solar project application and the county's solar ordinance (Sept. 2026) [36]; and the courthouse ADA remodel [28].
  • County finances: council minutes say the 2025 state property-tax law (SB 1) will cut roughly $600,000–$700,000 a year from the general fund, and that the end of the statewide 911 fund could mean a $900,000 general-fund decrease without a local income tax change; in July 2026 the council voted 6-1 to notify local units of a possible LIT rate change [37, 38]. In August 2026 the general fund budget request was $15.7 million against a levy of just over $10 million [39].

Candidates on the ballot

Jason Matthew McClure

Independent

Independent candidate for District 3 commissioner [12]. His BallotReady profile lists him as a farmer and former Peace Corps agriculture volunteer; no campaign positions were found [40].

McClure's background

  • His BallotReady candidate profile lists him as a farmer and a former Peace Corps agriculture volunteer (2006–2008), and a 2001 graduate of North Miami High School [40].

How McClure got on the ballot

  • Is on the November ballot as an independent [12]; no record of how he qualified (such as a petition) was found.

What we could not find about McClure

  • Possible match, not confirmed: August 3, 2026 commissioner minutes record a resident named Jason McClure asking whether appointees to the county economic development (MCEDA) board must be county residents; the minutes do not identify him further [41].
  • No candidate website, social media page, interview or questionnaire was found.
  • Work history comes only from a self-reported BallotReady candidate profile; it was not independently confirmed.
  • Local newspaper coverage could not be reviewed for this profile.
  • No stated plans were found.
  • No statements about the incumbent's record were found.
  • No endorsements or campaign finance reports were found.

Sources for McClure

Keith Fred Musselman

RepublicanIncumbent

Incumbent District 3 commissioner and board chairman, seeking another term [24, 12]. In office he backed the 2025 switch of county EMS to Parkview and supported a data center moratorium and ordinance in 2026 [28, 31].

Musselman's background

  • Current District 3 commissioner; chairman of the board in 2025 and 2026 [26, 24].
  • 2026 committee assignments include drainage board, solid waste, planning and zoning, the health care foundation, community corrections and MCEDA [24].

Musselman's positions

Public safety & jail

  • Supported moving county 911 ambulance service to Parkview after reports of times with no ambulances available; said the contract calls for three paramedic-staffed ALS ambulances plus a chase vehicle, and that county-owned ambulances could be sent outside the county as mutual aid [26, 28].

Data centers & energy projects

  • Supported a temporary moratorium on new data centers in May 2026 while an ordinance was drafted [31].
  • Said no data center projects were proposed and that the county needed an ordinance to protect itself [32].
  • At the ordinance's July 2026 adoption, said holding all businesses to data-center standards would prevent existing operations such as Smithfield from operating [33].

Budget & taxes

  • Said state-driven budget reductions mean the county needs growth to avoid fewer road deputies or highway projects or higher taxes, according to May 2026 minutes [32].
  • Requested $650,000 from the rainy day fund for the courthouse ADA remodel [28].

Transparency

  • Set a two-minute limit on public comments in October 2025 [27].
  • Rejected a claim that the EMS decision lacked transparency, saying city officials attended almost all related meetings [28].
  • Said a larger venue and advance questions were being considered for a public data center meeting [32].

Musselman on the current officeholder

  • Is the current officeholder. No campaign statements about his opponents were found.

How Musselman got on the ballot

  • Is on the November ballot as the Republican nominee [12].
  • Won the 2022 Republican primary for the seat unopposed [25].

What we could not find about Musselman

  • No campaign website, interview or questionnaire was found.
  • His occupation outside county office and when he first took office could not be confirmed.
  • May 2026 primary results for this race could not be found.
  • Many 2025–2026 commissioner minutes are scanned images; several were reviewed only in part for this profile.
  • No campaign platform was found; board actions point to finishing the courthouse ADA remodel and carrying out the new data center ordinance [30, 33].
  • No endorsements or campaign finance reports were found.

Sources for Musselman

Helen Piotter

Democratic

Democratic nominee for District 3 commissioner [12]. No public information about her background or positions was found.

How Piotter got on the ballot

  • Is on the November ballot as the Democratic nominee [12].

What we could not find about Piotter

  • No candidate website, social media page, interview or questionnaire was found.
  • Her occupation and background could not be determined.
  • May 2026 primary results for this race could not be found.
  • Her name did not appear in 2025–2026 commissioner or council minutes reviewed for this profile.
  • Local newspaper coverage (Peru Tribune / Kokomo Tribune) could not be reviewed for this profile.
  • No background information was found in county records or news reviewed for this profile.
  • No stated plans were found.
  • No statements about the incumbent's record were found.
  • No endorsements or campaign finance reports were found.

Sources for Piotter

Key points

  • Main 2025–2026 issues in county minutes: the switch of county 911 ambulance service to Parkview; data center rules; public objections to a Ranger Power solar project application and the county's solar ordinance (Sept. 2026); and the courthouse ADA remodel. (Miami County Board of Commissioners)
  • Minutes describe a $20-per-car tax in effect since 2014; its adequacy was discussed in 2025 and Baker Tilly was engaged in Apr. 2026 to analyze LIT and wheel tax options. The county received no Community Crossings award in 2025 and $879,793 in 2026. (miamicountyin.gov)
  • Miami County government adopted a $33.5 million budget for 2026, about $971 per resident; that is +38.6% compared with 2023. (Indiana Gateway for Government Units)

Sources

Researched Sunday, October 11, 2026

  1. Indiana Code 36-2-2-2: Board of commissioners as county executive (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  2. County Government Overview: Indiana (National Association of Counties (NACo))
  3. Indiana Code 36-2-5-2: Tax rates and appropriations (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  4. Indiana Code 36-2-5-3: Compensation of officers and employees (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  5. Indiana Code 36-2-2-1: Application of chapter (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  6. Marion County Commissioners (Encyclopedia of Indianapolis (Thomas C. Kennedy))
  7. Indiana Code 36-2-2-3: Election and term of executive (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  8. Indiana Code 36-2-2-5: Qualifications and residency of members; district or countywide election (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  9. 2026 Indiana Candidate Guide (Indiana Election Division)
  10. Indiana Code 3-8-1-21: Candidates for county commissioner (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  11. Indiana Code 36-2-5-11: Annual budget, tax rate and salary ordinances (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  12. 2026 General Election Candidate List (Indiana Election Division)
  13. Commissioners Responsibilities (Boone County, Indiana)
  14. Indiana state officials want to attract data centers. Local communities are beginning to push back (Indianapolis Business Journal via Inside INdiana Business (Marek Mazurek))
  15. Indiana Code 36-2-2-4: Commissioner districts (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  16. Indiana Code 36-2-3-4: Council districts and at-large members (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  17. Miami County Officials (Miami County, Indiana)
  18. Commissioners meeting minutes, January 5, 2026 (Miami County Board of Commissioners)
  19. 2022 Primary Election Summary Report (Miami County, Indiana)
  20. Commissioners meeting minutes, June 2, 2025 (Miami County Board of Commissioners)
  21. Commissioners meeting minutes, October 6, 2025 (Miami County Board of Commissioners)
  22. Commissioners meeting minutes, October 20, 2025 (Miami County Board of Commissioners)
  23. Commissioners meeting minutes, November 3, 2025 (Miami County Board of Commissioners)
  24. County Council meeting minutes, January 20, 2026 (Miami County Council)
  25. Commissioners meeting minutes, May 4, 2026 (Miami County Board of Commissioners)
  26. Commissioners meeting minutes, May 18, 2026 (Miami County Board of Commissioners)
  27. Commissioners meeting minutes, July 20, 2026 (Miami County Board of Commissioners)
  28. Miami County, Indiana (Wikipedia)
  29. 2014 General Election Results (Miami County, Indiana)
  30. Commissioners meeting minutes, September 8, 2026 (Miami County Board of Commissioners)
  31. County Council meeting minutes, April 21, 2026 (Miami County Council)
  32. County Council meeting minutes, July 21, 2026 (Miami County Council)
  33. County Council meeting minutes, August 18, 2026 (Miami County Council)
  34. Jason Matthew McClure (candidate profile) (BallotReady)
  35. Commissioners meeting minutes, August 3, 2026 (Miami County Board of Commissioners)
What's included
the U.S. House, statewide offices, every Indiana House and Senate district on the ballot, Indiana's statewide public questions and judicial retention questions, and county, township, city, town and school board races from the Indiana Election Division's candidate list.
Everything else
Local races (county, city, school board, judges) and anything else on your ballot are on your official sample ballot: IndianaVoters.in.gov.
Candidate lists
As of Sunday, October 18, 2026.
At the polls
Indiana law lets you bring a list of candidates and public questions into the polling place, including one stored on your phone, as long as you don't electioneer. IC 3-11-8-18.5

This is not an official ballot. Confirm your registration, polling place and ballot with your election office through vote.gov.