Miami 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]

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.

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.

About this race

• Open seat: incumbent Richard (Dick) Wiles is not on the 2026 ballot. At-large council member David Sailors Sr. was unopposed in the May 5, 2026 Republican primary for District 3 with 410 votes; no candidate filed in the Democratic primary ^[26]. Charles A Wagner is the Democratic nominee on the state's general-election list ^[10].
• Sailors currently holds an at-large council seat ^[22]; this guide did not find a public statement on what would happen to that seat if he wins District 3.
• Miami County's seven-member council (all seven current members are Republicans) is the county's fiscal body: four members are elected from districts and three at large. It meets at 7 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at the courthouse in Peru ^{[23, 22]}. Thomas Scott was elected council president in January 2026 on a 4-3 show of hands over Sandy Chittum, and Bryan Nutt was elected vice president 7-0 ^[29].
• Budget: at the October 14, 2025 first reading, the 2026 budget totaled $32,861,998 across all funds, including $14,670,044 in the County General Fund; the sheriff's budget was $2,508,249 and the jail's $1,270,701 ^[32]. In August 2026 the council was told the County General budget requests for 2027 totaled $15.7 million against a levy of just over $10 million, and members discussed moving some General Fund costs to local income tax (LIT) funds ^[33].
• Property-tax law (SEA 1) and income tax: in April 2026 council discussion noted an annual revenue cut of about $700,000 under SB 1 and an estimated $600,000-$700,000 impact on the General Fund levy; the council hired Baker Tilly (up to $40,000) to analyze LIT and wheel-tax options ^{[34, 35]}. In July 2026 the council voted 6-1 to notify local units of a possible LIT rate change before the August 1 deadline, after being told the end of the statewide 911 fund would cost the General Fund about $900,000 without a rate adjustment; John Allen voted no, citing opposition to any tax increase, and the rate was left to budget sessions ^[31].
• Rainy Day Fund and capital projects: in December 2025 members raised concern that the Rainy Day Fund was projected to fall below $2 million; that month the council approved up to $900,000 for a health-insurance fund deficit, split between the Rainy Day and Riverboat funds, and (4-3) $357,321 from the Rainy Day Fund for a jail security system upgrade ^{[36, 28]}. In January 2026 it re-appropriated $650,000 from the Rainy Day Fund for a courthouse remodel ^[29].
• Public safety and EMS: the 2026 budget set aside $500,000 from the Riverboat Fund and $500,000 from LIT public safety money for EMS after the county's longtime provider sought financial support; residents spoke for keeping three advanced-life-support ambulances ^[32]. In February 2026 the council approved $200,000 for an EMS staging facility for Parkview EMS staff on German Street ^[37]. It funded a third courthouse security officer in 2025 and two additional sheriff's officers ($85,000) in July 2026 ^{[38, 31]}.
• Roads: the county wheel tax has been $20 per car since 2014; members discussed in 2025 whether it is adequate for road maintenance ^[39]. In April 2026 the county reported a Community Crossings award of $879,792.80 toward $1,099,741 in resurfacing on Wabash Road and Paw Paw Pike, plus a separate $711,764 locally funded structure replacement ^[34].
• Economic development, data centers and solar: the council approved tax abatements in 2025-2026 including a 70%, 15-year real-property abatement for a Keller Logistics shell building at Grissom and a 10-year abatement for SpectronRX tied to a $30 million investment and 50 jobs ^{[38, 29]}. The Board of Commissioners adopted a temporary moratorium on data-center permits in unincorporated areas until the zoning ordinance is amended (recorded May 4, 2026) ^[40]; when a resident raised data centers at the May 2026 council meeting, President Scott said the council has a fiscal role and does not decide what comes into the county ^[35]. A proposed August 2026 draft ordinance would cap cumulative utility-scale solar array area at 3,500 acres ^[41].
• No candidate forums, questionnaires or news coverage of this race were found in sources reviewed for this profile.

Candidates on the ballot

Key points

• Budget: at the October 14, 2025 first reading, the 2026 budget totaled $32,861,998 across all funds, including $14,670,044 in the County General Fund; the sheriff's budget was $2,508,249 and the jail's $1,270,701. (Miami County Council (Auditor's Office))
• 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)
• 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