Posey 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]

Posey 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.

This county's council has no budget lines of its own (department 0061); council pay is probably budgeted under the commissioners or another department.

Also on the record for this office

• SEA 1 estimated county-unit revenue change in 2028 vs prior law: $-1,058,030 (LSA)
• MUST taskforce (LIT distribution talks): none found
• wheel tax: none found
• fiscal consultant named in records: none found

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

• Posey County Council has seven members ^[34]: four elected by district and three at large. The at-large members (Dave Pearce, Heather Allyn and Rusty Jourdan, all Republicans) were elected in 2024 ^[35].
• Incumbent Zack George (R) is seeking re-election. In the May 5, 2026 primary, George was unopposed for the Republican nomination (306 votes) and Jeff Greenwell was unopposed for the Democratic nomination (247 votes) ^[24].
• District 4 has not had a contested general election in recent cycles: David Pearce (R) won it unopposed in 2018 and George won it unopposed in 2022 ^{[36, 22]}.
• Budget and services: the council approved the 2026 operating budget 7-0 on first reading in September 2025 and 6-0 on October 15, 2025 ^{[26, 27]}. At the September 2025 meeting, a fire chief representing the county fire chiefs' association said the council had used county funds the previous year for volunteer fire departments instead of increasing the public safety tax; the council voted 6-0 in October 2025 to distribute those funds again for 2026 ^{[28, 27]}.
• Economic development: the council reviews and renews industrial tax abatements each year; in June 2026 it continued abatements for companies including CGB, AstraZeneca, Green Plains, Nix, BWXT and SABIC ^[32].
• Roads and bridges: in June 2026 the council committed up to $1,000,000 toward the local match for repairing and reopening the closed New Harmony bridge, contingent on federal funding ^[32].
• EMS staffing: the county EMS director told the council in August 2026 that he had lost four employees to Evansville city fire, and the council approved a salary ordinance update for EMS positions ^[33].
• No candidate forum or debate for this race was found as of October 11, 2026.

Candidates on the ballot

Key points

• Budget and services: the council approved the 2026 operating budget 7-0 on first reading in September 2025 and 6-0 on October 15, 2025. (Posey County Council)
• Posey County government adopted a $31.9 million budget for 2026, about $1,277 per resident; that is +18.6% 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 -6.2% versus prior law once fully in effect (2028, since delayed to 2029 by HEA 1210). (Indiana Legislative Services Agency)

Sources