County Council Member

The basics

Term

4 years; district and at-large seats alternate elections. ^[12]

Term limit

None. ^[12]

Who may stand

One year county residence and six months district residence (district seats) before the election. ^[13]

On the 2026 ballot

368 races in Indiana

What the law puts in this job

• Fixes the county tax rate and appropriates money; money may be paid out only under an appropriation. ^[2]
• Fixes the compensation and number of county officers, deputies and employees in a separate salary ordinance. ^{[3, 4]}
• Adopts the budget by Nov. 1 after a hearing; reviews all units' levies and tax-cap losses at its first August meeting; has binding review of appointed boards' budgets. ^{[5, 6, 7]}
• Adopts local income tax rates (alone in most counties now and in all counties from July 1, 2028), wheel tax and excise surtax; approves borrowing and tax abatements outside cities. ^{[8, 9, 10, 11]}

What the officeholder decides

• 2028 local income tax: adopt or renew county rates by Oct. 1, 2028 for tax year 2029 under SEA 1 (county general up to 1.2%, fire/EMS 0.4%, non-municipal 0.2%, municipal services 1.2%); decide how fire/EMS money is allocated among providers. ^{[17, 18, 19]}
• Replacing jail, PSAP and other special LIT rates repealed Jan. 1, 2029. ^[19]
• From 2029, any levy increase above the prior year needs a single-subject ordinance after a hearing (IC 6-1.1-17-23). ^[20]
• Annual budgets 2028-2031, salary ordinances, rainy-day fund policy, and any bonds (counties over a $0.25 debt rate face petition/remonstrance on any project). ^{[21, 22]}

Who the officeholder answers to

• Voters; DLGF reviews and certifies the budget and may reduce it; the State Board of Accounts audits; additional appropriations need a finding of emergency and a hearing. ^{[15, 16]}

What it pays, and who sets that

• Set by the council itself in the salary ordinance (cannot change mid-year). ^{[3, 14]}
• Varies; presidents sometimes paid more.
• In the 60 of 91 counties where a salary line could be identified in the 2026 budget, elected-official pay lines ran from $3,475 to $32,899 (median $11,789). From county budget lines; verify against each county's salary ordinance. ^[1]

Questions worth asking a candidate

Ours, not a questionnaire anyone answered. They come from what the job actually involves.

• What should the county's income tax rate be in 2029, and what should it pay for?
• How many days of cash should the county keep in reserve?
• Which department would you fund more, and which less?
• How will you decide pay raises for county employees and elected officials?

Sources

Office research by Legal Insights (Oct. 13, 2026): Indiana Code 2026 edition, state agencies and county budgets. Nothing here rates an officeholder or candidate.