Perry County Council, District 1

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]

Perry 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: $-296,770 (LSA)
• MUST taskforce (LIT distribution talks): none found
• wheel tax: none found
• fiscal consultant named in records: other/in-house

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 Council President Kelli Harding (R) faces Sherri Haller (D) ^[10]. The Perry County Council has seven members: four elected by district and three at large ^[22].
• Primary: both nominees were unopposed on May 5, 2026; Harding received 121 votes in the Republican primary and Haller 215 in the Democratic primary ^[34].
• Budget and taxes: the Perry County Council adopted a 2026 budget of $13,663,054 by a 7-0 vote on October 9, 2025 ^[31]. The certified (Form 4) figures list a General Fund budget of $6,089,767 with a $4,136,720 levy and a proposed rate of 0.5819, and a combined proposed rate of 0.7534 for the levied funds, which the council president noted could change on state (DLGF) review ^[35]. At the September 11, 2025 budget meeting the Auditor said the advertised levy funds were $99,587 over what the county could levy and had to be reduced ^[36].
• Property taxes and SEA 1: at the June 26, 2025 council meeting member Brad Harth said the county would be in a 'belt-tightening mode due to SEA 1' ^[37]. On July 23, 2026, council president Kelli Harding said that with 2027 revenue estimates not yet known, private groups would not be invited to present 2027 budget requests until department requests and employee wages were addressed; other members agreed ^[33].
• Economic development: in October 2025 the council confirmed real and personal property tax abatements for a proposed Webb Wheel Products expansion in Tell City (about $15 million in real property and about $42 million in personal property investment, per the county's consultant) ^[38]; in December 2025 the consultant said the company's site selector had not yet given a decision ^[32].
• Public safety: in December 2025 the council used unrestricted opioid settlement funds to buy sheriff's vehicles ^[32]. In July 2026, after a state cut to Community Corrections funding that the county was told eliminated drug court funding, the commissioners (2-0) and council (7-0) set aside $103,328 in restricted opioid funds to keep the Perry County Drug Court running for about two years ^{[39, 33]}.
• Roads: the council president reported in December 2025 that the county's first-round 2026 Community Crossings road-grant application was denied; the state cited an application error involving road names, and the county expected to reapply ^[32].
• No candidate forum, debate or questionnaire for this race was found as of October 11, 2026.

Candidates on the ballot

Key points

• Budget and taxes: the Perry County Council adopted a 2026 budget of $13,663,054 by a 7-0 vote on October 9, 2025. (Perry County Council (Auditor's Office))
• Perry County government adopted a $14.0 million budget for 2026, about $722 per resident; that is +18.9% 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 -5.4% versus prior law once fully in effect (2028, since delayed to 2029 by HEA 1210). (Indiana Legislative Services Agency)

Sources