Scott 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]

What has changed in this job lately

Changes in the law the next officeholder will work under, most distant first.

1. 2023

   State law gave counties with 185,000 to 300,000 residents until September 1, 2023, to opt in to a nine-member council elected entirely from single-member districts ^{[1, 4, 19]}.

2. April 15, 2025

   Gov. Mike Braun signed Senate Enrolled Act 1, a property tax law he called historic tax relief; Rep. Greg Porter (D-Indianapolis) called it a lose-lose and said it would cost local governments and schools up to $1.8 billion over three years ^[20].

3. 2025

   SEA 1 rewrote county local income taxes: existing rates were set to be replaced by a new structure, local income tax councils were to be eliminated with the county fiscal body becoming the adopting body, the total county expenditure rate was capped at 2.9%, and cities and towns with at least 3,500 residents gained the power to adopt their own rate ^[16].

4. March 12, 2026

   House Enrolled Act 1210 delayed the local income tax overhaul by one year; current ordinances now expire January 1, 2029, the repeal of local income tax councils and the levy freeze is also delayed a year, and counties may form a Municipal Unit Strategic Taskforce with city and town representatives to negotiate revenue sharing ^{[17, 21]}.

5. 2026

   Senate tax committee chair Travis Holdman (R-Markle) said the delay aims for a more streamlined, tailored plan because counties are not all alike, while Amy Krieg of the organization representing cities and towns said the issue will be a multi-year discussion ^[21].

Scott 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: $-458,420 (LSA)
• MUST taskforce (LIT distribution talks): none found
• wheel tax: discussed
• fiscal consultant named in records: Baker Tilly

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

• District 2 incumbent John Miller (R), listed on the ballot as John M Miller, Jr., is seeking another term. He won the seat in 2022 ^{[22, 33, 24]}.
• May 5, 2026 primary: Miller (R, 276 votes) and David G. Barrett (D, 148 votes) were each unopposed ^[24].
• The seven-member Scott County Council is the county's fiscal body. Its website lists four district members and three at-large members ^[33]. The four district seats were last filled in the November 2022 election, and 2026 council agendas list those members' terms as January 2023 to December 2026 ^{[22, 23]}. Each district race on the 2026 ballot is for one seat, so the single seat on the state list is consistent with this.
• Republicans hold most council seats. John Lizenby, elected at large in 2024, is a Democrat ^[34].
• In 2025 the council's main budget issue was a judgment bond. On Sept. 9, 2025, public commenters said the county needed the bond because of an incorrect 2024 tax rate and the lawsuit with the Sheriff over the 2025 budget he had been given in quarters. Council President J.R. Ward said it was a judgment bond, not an emergency bond. He also said the Sheriff's 2025 budget had been submitted to the state as a quarterly budget on advice from the State Board of Accounts and legal counsel ^[27].
• The bond was capped at $6 million ^[27]. The final vote on Oct. 14, 2025 was 4-1, with John Lizenby voting no ^[28]. In March 2026 the council voted 7-0 to reimburse the General Fund, LIT Public Safety and LIT Special Purpose funds a total of $5,020,298.75 from the judgment bond ^[35]. In February 2026 it approved the Sheriff Department's "court ordered Pay Matrix from 2025" for 2026 ^[31].
• Taxes: on Sept. 9, 2025, Mr. Semler told the council that a decision to increase the local income tax (LIT) will have to be made in 2027 ^[27]. On Dec. 9, 2025, Ward said the bond money had been received and that property taxes will likely rise $20 to $30 ^[30]. In June 2025 Ward said the county's finances for the next year were "up in the air" because of Senate Bill 1, the 2025 property-tax law ^[36].
• Pay: on Dec. 30, 2025, two motions for a 3% raise for 2026 failed 2-4. One covered all employees including elected officials; the other excluded elected officials and EMS ^[37]. In February 2026 the council approved 3% raise appropriations department by department and moved ahead with phase one of a salary study by Waggoner, Irwin and Scheele. The firm's not-to-exceed offer was $50,860; the county's last such study was in 2008 ^{[38, 31]}.
• The council adopted the 2026 budget 6-0 on Oct. 28, 2025 ^[29]. For the 2027 budget it scheduled a September 2026 special meeting on "Wage Study and Budgets." Its agenda center lists an Oct. 16, 2026 budget hearing and an Oct. 27, 2026 budget adoption ^{[39, 40]}. The August 2026 agenda included a resident's request to ask about the bond, related expenses and general fund balances ^[23].
• All six major-party candidates for the District 1, 2 and 4 seats were unopposed in their May 5, 2026 primaries ^[24]. No candidate forums, questionnaires or campaign coverage for these races were found in free local sources.

Who holds this seat now

John M Miller, Jr. (Republican) — on this ballot, standing again.

Miller's record in the job

• 2022: Won the Republican primary over Philip Shepherd (214 to 100), then won the general election over Democrat Jessica Allen-Feder (1,165 to 568) ^{[25, 22]}.
• Jan. 14, 2025: Agreed to stay on the Scott County Partnership Board and was appointed with Ward to the health insurance committee. Minutes note he had previously been the council's member on the Southeast Recycling District ^[26].
• Sept. 9, 2025: During debate on the judgment bond, Miller said he would like to set the 2026 budget before agreeing to the debt ^[27].
• Oct. 14, 2025: Moved to approve Ordinance 2025-49, the appropriation of the judgment bond funds, and voted for the bond ordinance; both passed 4-1 ^[28].
• Oct. 28, 2025: Seconded adoption of the 2026 budget, which passed 6-0 ^[29].
• Dec. 9, 2025: Moved to table an appropriation for employee bonuses (passed 7-0). The council then asked for a 3% raise to be advertised for the 2026 salary ordinance ^[30].
• Feb. 10, 2026: Moved to approve the coroner's additional appropriation at a reduced $32,013.24 instead of the $52,839.24 requested; it passed 4-2 ^[31].
• May 12, 2026: Moved to approve the 2026 salary ordinance and pay matrix (7-0) and to table a $60,000 custodian appropriation. Voted for appointing Jonathan White to the Redevelopment Commission (failed 3-4) and against Ward's motion to remain on it (passed 5-2) ^[32].
• 2026 council agendas list his seat term as January 2023 to December 2026 ^[23].

Candidates on the ballot

Key points

• In 2025 the council's main budget issue was a judgment bond. On Sept. 9, 2025, public commenters said the county needed the bond because of an incorrect 2024 tax rate and the lawsuit with the Sheriff over the 2025 budget he had been given in quarters. (Scott County Council)
• Scott County government adopted a $27.0 million budget for 2026, about $1,079 per resident; that is +27.7% 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 -7.1% versus prior law once fully in effect (2028, since delayed to 2029 by HEA 1210). (Indiana Legislative Services Agency)

Sources