Perry County Council, District 4

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

• Perry County has a seven-member county council: one member from each of four districts and three elected countywide. It meets on the fourth Thursday of each month at the courthouse in Tell City ^[32]. District 3 and District 4 are single-member seats. The county website lists Kelli Harding (District 1), Stan Goffinet (District 2), Brad Harth (District 3), Paul Brockman (District 4) and at-large members David Etienne, Gale Garner and Cory Filley ^[32]; Goffinet no longer appears in council minutes after November 2025 ^[33], and July 2026 minutes list a Roger Peter as a council member ^[31].
• Brockman is the appointed incumbent seeking his first full term. In the May 5, 2026 primary both nominees were unopposed: Republican Paul Brockman and Democrat Ellen Stone each received 114 votes ^[34].
• In 2022 Republican Earla Williams won the seat without a Democratic opponent ^[23].
• Budget pressure: at the September 11, 2025 budget hearing, council president Kelli Harding said the requested 2026 budget had to be cut by $2.6 million ^[35]. On October 9, 2025 the council voted 7-0 to adopt a 2026 budget of $13,663,054 ^[28]. The Form 4 read on October 15, 2025 listed a proposed county general fund tax rate of 0.5819 and a total proposed rate of 0.7534 for the funds the state reviews; Harding noted the state could lower it ^[36].
• State property-tax changes: council members repeatedly cited Senate Enrolled Act 1 (2025) as a reason for spending restraint. In February 2025 Harding asked to hold off on filling a part-time clerk position because of uncertainty over Senate Bill 1 ^[24]. In January 2026 the County Auditor told the council that county employees outside the courts were making less in 2026 than in 2025 ^[30].
• Other 2025–2026 issues before the council included a joint meeting with the commissioners on moving local income tax (EDIT) money into new funds for economic development, courthouse security, building maintenance, highway projects and jail operations ^[37]; tax abatements for a Webb Wheel Products expansion in Tell City ^[29]; a new county tax-abatement policy ^[30]; a pay schedule for sheriff's deputies after several resignations ^{[33, 30]}; whether to hire a county engineer for roads ^[30]; and a review of the county's ambulance (EMS) contract, which dates to the 1980s ^[38].
• 2027 budget: the county's calendar set a public hearing and first reading for September 3, 2026 and budget adoption for October 1, 2026 ^[39]. In July 2026 Harding said the council would hear department budget requests and consider employee wage increases before inviting outside agencies to ask for money ^[31]. Minutes of the September and October 2026 budget meetings were not available for this profile.
• No candidate forum or debate for this race was found.

Candidates on the ballot

Key points

• Budget pressure: at the September 11, 2025 budget hearing, council president Kelli Harding said the requested 2026 budget had to be cut by $2.6 million. On October 9, 2025 the council voted 7-0 to adopt a 2026 budget of $13,663,054. (Perry County Council (minutes prepared by the County 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