Morgan County Council, District 2

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]

Morgan 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: $-846,080 (LSA)
• MUST taskforce (LIT distribution talks): named reps
• wheel tax: none found
• 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

• Incumbent Republican Melissa Greene faces Democrat Thomas D Hall. In the May 5, 2026 Republican primary Greene defeated Trudy Ellis, 1,346 votes (64.8%) to 730 (35.2%), according to the election-night summary report; no candidate filed in the Democratic primary ^[23]. Hall is on the state's general-election candidate list ^[10].
• Morgan County's seven-member council has four district members (Chip Keller, District 1, president; Melissa Greene, District 2; Brian Culp, District 3, vice president; Troy Sprinkle, District 4) and three at-large members (Kim Merideth, Vickie Kivett, Joe Crone) ^{[22, 34]}.
• Property-tax law (SEA 1): at a May 2025 special meeting the county's financial adviser estimated the new law would reduce the county's net levy by $1.37 million in 2026, growing to $4.82 million by 2032; a county commissioner said the county uses 1% of its 2.72% income tax rate for homestead property-tax relief and would be limited to 0.3% under the new law. Residents at the same meeting asked for tax relief ^[35]. In July 2026 the council named President Keller its representative to the Municipal Unit Strategic Taskforce, which will set a countywide income tax structure effective in 2029 ^[33].
• Data centers and energy: in May 2025 the council and commissioners approved an economic revitalization area, taxpayer agreement and 50% real-property abatement for Woodland Caribou LLC, a data-center project; residents raised objections to tax incentives and to the project ^{[29, 30]}. In October 2025, when the council expanded the area (5-1, Joe Crone opposed), the auditor estimated the company's $325 million investment would pay about $2.03 million a year in property taxes after the abatement ^[30]. In June 2026 residents asked the council to advocate on their behalf on a proposed high-voltage transmission line they said would serve a Google data center; the council noted its limited jurisdiction ^[32].
• Assessments: in June 2026 the county assessor told the council that state cost-schedule increases of 32% and then 24% had produced large assessment increases, including for agricultural buildings ^[32].
• Capital projects: county building projects (including a new judicial campus and a historic courthouse renovation) have drawn public comment on spending; in March 2026 a commissioner said the next phase, estimated at $15.5 million, would not require a bond or levy ^{[35, 31]}.
• The council held 2027 budget hearings on September 8, 2026, and scheduled adoption of the 2027 county budget for October 5, 2026 ^{[36, 37]}.
• No candidate forums, questionnaires or news coverage of the 2026 general-election race were found in sources reviewed for this profile.

Candidates on the ballot

Key points

• Data centers and energy: in May 2025 the council and commissioners approved an economic revitalization area, taxpayer agreement and 50% real-property abatement for Woodland Caribou LLC, a data-center project; residents raised objections to tax incentives and to the project. (Morgan County Council (Auditor's Office))
• Morgan County government adopted a $79.4 million budget for 2026, about $1,059 per resident; that is +22.0% 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 -3.8% versus prior law once fully in effect (2028, since delayed to 2029 by HEA 1210). (Indiana Legislative Services Agency)

Sources