Civic
Every race on your ballot, with sources. Races by stateJoin the Luminary network

2026 General Election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

St. Joseph County Council, District C

Voted on across St. Joseph County. Open seat: Dan Schaetzle is not on the ballot.

Find your exact ballotAll St. Joseph County races

Who votes on this seat: Only voters who live in this district vote in this race. 2026 General Election Candidate List

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 the law puts in this job (13)
  • Serves as the county fiscal body under the name of the county council [1].
  • Sets the county property tax rate and other countywide rates not fixed by state law [2].
  • Appropriates county money; except as otherwise provided by law, money may leave the county treasury only under an appropriation the council makes [2].
  • Adopts the annual budget at a yearly meeting where the county auditor presents budget estimates; budget ordinances must be read on two separate days, and funding an item above the estimates takes a three-fourths vote [14].
  • Adopts a separate salary ordinance setting the pay of county officers and employees and the number of deputies and employees in each office, after considering the commissioners' recommendations [14, 3].
  • Sets pay schedules and job classifications paid from the county general, highway, park and other funds, except that each local health department board sets pay for its own staff [3].
  • Controls spending and revenue collection in the county, including special spending requests during the year [6].
  • Authorizes by ordinance the bonds that fund county road and bridge projects and can create a county housing authority by resolution [8].
  • Serves as the county legislative body as well as the fiscal body in Lake and St. Joseph counties [8].
  • Declares a commissioner's seat vacant when the commissioner moves out of the county or district, and in certain cases can remove a county commissioner from office [15, 13].
  • Becomes the body that adopts county local income tax rates under the 2025 SEA 1 overhaul, replacing local income tax councils; the change is now scheduled for ordinances adopted starting July 1, 2028 [16, 17].
  • Has its adopted budget, tax rate and levies reviewed by the state Department of Local Government Finance, whose county budget order certifies the approved budget, tax rate and levy for each fund [18].
  • Does not run county departments day to day; the commissioners provide administrative oversight and the council provides fiduciary oversight [5].

St. Joseph 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 office's 2026 budget

$627,110

0.3% of the county's adopted 2026 budget · 87% less than 2019, before inflation

2019: $4,829,3182020: $5,373,3902021: $5,312,2202022: $9,757,5062023: $10,857,9242024: $998,4602025: $632,0102026: $627,110
2019 $4,829,3182026 $627,110
The year-by-year figures

Adopted budget, all funds, 2019-2026 (not adjusted for inflation)

  • 2019: $4,829,318
  • 2020: $5,373,390
  • 2021: $5,312,220
  • 2022: $9,757,506
  • 2023: $10,857,924
  • 2024: $998,460
  • 2025: $632,010
  • 2026: $627,110

Budget lines counted: 0061 COUNTY COUNCIL

Adopted 2026 county budget (Form 1 line items, Form 4B) and earlier years' budgets

All members combined, 2026 budget lines (presidents are often paid more)

$230,295

From the county budget; verify against the county's 2026 salary ordinance. A line can include longevity pay or a second role.

Also on the record for this office

  • SEA 1 estimated county-unit revenue change in 2028 vs prior law: $-12,232,880 (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.

General Fund cash, in days of spending · 2025

243 days

End-of-2025 General Fund cash divided by a year's disbursements, times 365.

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: high (council and commissioners jointly): spending and appropriation decisions

Position 3 of 10 counties with 150,000 or more residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

Share of the 2025 General Fund budget spent · 2025

100.5%

Actual General Fund spending divided by the certified budget.

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: high (council appropriates; commissioners and officers spend)

Position 5 of 11 counties with 150,000 or more residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

County debt per resident · 2025

$330

Debt outstanding at the end of 2025 (annual financial report).

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: high (council authorizes borrowing; commissioners initiate many projects)

Position 5 of 11 counties with 150,000 or more residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

Budget growth, 2023 to 2026 · 2023-2026

+18.2%

Adopted budget, all funds, not adjusted for inflation.

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: high (council adopts the budget)

Position 6 of 10 counties with 150,000 or more residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

SEA 1 estimate for 2028 · 2028 (LSA estimate)

-14.5%

Legislative Services Agency estimate of the county government's revenue change under the 2025 property tax law, compared with prior law.

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: low: set by state law (SEA 1-2025); local rate choices from 2028 change the outcome

Position 9 of 10 counties with 150,000 or more residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source

Property tax cap credits · 2026

20.9%

Tax-cap (circuit breaker) credits as a share of the 2026 levy: revenue the county does not collect because of the caps.

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: low: set mainly by the constitutional caps and the combined rates of all units in the county

Position 1 of 11 counties with 150,000 or more residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

Local income tax share of county revenue · 2026

29.2%

How much of the county's revenue comes from local income tax.

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: partial: the council adopts local income tax rates within limits set by state law

Position 8 of 10 counties with 150,000 or more residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

Meeting minutes online · 2026-10

Not checked (the site blocked the check)

Whether the council's or commissioners' minutes are posted online (the better of the two), checked Oct. 2026.

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: high (commissioners and council decide what they post)

About this race

  • Open seat: incumbent Dan Schaetzle lost the May 5, 2026 Republican primary to James O'Brien, 1,665 (57.8%) to 1,214 (42.2%) [23, 31]. Democrat Jan Cervelli ran unopposed in her primary [31].
  • District C includes Granger and the area around Microsoft's data center [24], so the data center and the proposed Granger TIF expansion are central issues. Both nominees have called for a data center moratorium and raised concerns about the TIF [32, 33, 24].
  • The St. Joseph County Council has nine members [26]. Republicans won a 5-4 majority in the 2022 elections [26, 22]. In January 2025 the four Democrats joined Republican Dan Schaetzle to elect him president 5-4 over Republican Randy Figg; Republicans Amy Drake, Randy Figg, Joe Thomas and Andy Rutten issued a joint statement calling on him to leave the party, and Schaetzle said he would keep working with both parties [26]. In January 2026 the council elected Democrat Bryan Tanner president 6-3, with Republicans Figg and Rutten supporting him [29].
  • Budget: the council passed the 2026 budget on October 14, 2025; WNDU reported that the state's Senate Enrolled Act 1 property-tax cuts made the work difficult [27]. The council began 2027 budget hearings on July 20, 2026; President Tanner said the budget centers on infrastructure, public safety and parks, that the county would not spend more than it expects to receive, and that the county has cut its property tax rate about 14% over five years [34].
  • Data centers have been the leading county issue in 2026. The council previously approved rezoning for Amazon (near New Carlisle) and Microsoft (Granger) data centers [35, 36], and on December 9, 2025 rejected a third data center rezoning near New Carlisle 7-2 [37]. On September 22, 2026 the council voted 6-3 for a resolution, sponsored by Republicans Drake, Thomas, Figg and Rutten, directing the Area Plan Commission to draft zoning changes that would ban new hyperscale data centers in unincorporated areas; it does not itself enact a ban. Democrats Diana Hess and Mark Catanzarite and Republican Dan Schaetzle voted no [30, 38, 36].
  • A proposed expansion of the AM General tax increment financing (TIF) district to include the Microsoft site, with up to $4 million in bonds for projects such as a Douglas Road rail overpass and water and sewer work, was scheduled for a council vote on September 22, 2026 [33, 24]. The outcome was not found in available coverage.
  • Portage Manor, the former county home: the council voted 5-4 in June 2023 to close it [39]; in November 2025 it voted 6-3 for a resolution asking commissioners to bring proposals to reopen or preserve it [40]; and in May 2026 it allowed commissioners to seek proposals for the property while requiring council approval of any sale [41].
  • Differences: O'Brien proposed a two-year moratorium tied to the New Carlisle data center's progress; Cervelli calls for an open-ended pause covering expansions too, plus a utility study commission and a ban on tax abatements and nondisclosure agreements [32, 42]. O'Brien names property taxes as his top priority [43]; Cervelli emphasizes cost of living and community planning in Granger [44, 45].
  • No candidate forum or debate for this race was found in available coverage.

Candidates on the ballot

Jan Cervelli

Democratic

Democratic nominee, urban planner and former Saint Mary's College president who has called for a pause on new data centers and more public input on development in Granger [49, 42, 24].

Cervelli's background

  • Landscape architect and urban planner; former professor at the University of Kentucky and dean of architecture and planning colleges at Clemson University and the University of Arizona, according to her campaign [49].
  • President of Saint Mary's College from June 2016 to 2018 [50]; her campaign says she now teaches full time as a tenured professor in art and environmental studies [49].
  • Past president of the American Society of Landscape Architects, according to her campaign [49].

Cervelli's positions

Data centers & energy projects

  • Petitioned the council in March 2026 for a pause on hyperscale data center permits until questions on water, electricity rates, property values and health are answered; also asked for a utility study commission reporting by January 15, 2027, protections for residents within 1.5 miles, and a ban on tax abatements and nondisclosure agreements with developers [42].
  • Calls for "a moratorium or pause on any new data centers or even any expansions" [32]; said, "It's absolutely a non-partisan issue" [24].

Economic development

  • Questions the proposed Granger TIF expansion, saying it lacks detail on how revenue would be used, and asks how the existing AM General TIF revenue has benefited the community: "Where has the money gone?" [24].

Zoning & land use

  • Proposes a community-based planning process and a Granger council, with county staff support, and growth that produces good jobs, supports local businesses and protects the environment [45].
  • Wants more public input on commercial and industrial development [24].

Property taxes & SEA 1

  • Says she would seek relief on housing, utility and property-tax costs; no specific tax proposal was found [44].

How Cervelli would run the office

  • Pause new data centers pending study; Granger community planning process; more public input on development and TIF spending [42, 45, 24].

Cervelli on the current officeholder

  • Open seat. Says the county "is in need of purposeful leadership" and urged Republican officials to adopt a data center moratorium [51, 24].

How Cervelli got on the ballot

  • Ran unopposed in the May 5, 2026 Democratic primary [31].

What we could not find about Cervelli

  • No specific positions found on the county budget, tax rates or public safety funding.
  • Campaign finance reports could not be reviewed for this profile.
  • No endorsements or campaign finance reports were found in sources reviewed.

Cervelli's campaign website

Sources for Cervelli

James A O'Brien

Republican

Republican nominee, Notre Dame accounting instructor and former county attorney who names property taxes as his top priority and opposes the Granger TIF expansion [31, 43, 33].

O'Brien's background

  • Known as Jamie O'Brien [31].
  • Teaches accounting at the University of Notre Dame and previously worked as a lawyer for the county council, according to WNDU [31]; WNDU's January 2026 filing story described him as a former St. Joseph County attorney [43].

O'Brien's positions

Property taxes & SEA 1

  • "First and foremost is property taxes," he said when filing [43].

Data centers & energy projects

  • Proposed a two-year moratorium on data center development at a July 2026 council meeting, with a timeframe tied to the New Carlisle data center's progress [32].
  • Supports the Republican resolution to ban new hyperscale data centers [46].

Economic development

  • Opposes the proposed Granger TIF expansion, saying the extra revenue should stay on the regular tax rolls: "If it goes in the TIF, there's no control over how that money is spent"; called it "a wealth transfer from the rest of the county into Granger" [33].
  • Hosted an August 24, 2026 community meeting on the TIF proposal [47, 33].

How O'Brien would run the office

  • Pause new data centers while the county observes the effects of existing projects [32]; keep Microsoft tax revenue in the general tax base rather than a TIF [33].

O'Brien on the current officeholder

  • Defeated incumbent Schaetzle in the primary; after winning, said, "If we have the majority, then we will implement a lot of the policies" [48]. No other statements about Schaetzle's record were found.

How O'Brien got on the ballot

  • Filed in January 2026 [43]. Won the May 5, 2026 Republican primary over incumbent Dan Schaetzle, 1,665 to 1,214 [23].

What we could not find about O'Brien

  • No campaign website was found.
  • Sources differ on his former legal role (county attorney vs. council attorney); dates of service were not found.
  • An interview on a radio podcast and other coverage of his positions on snow removal and tax abatements could not be reviewed for this profile.
  • Campaign finance reports could not be reviewed for this profile.
  • No endorsements or campaign finance reports were found in sources reviewed.

Sources for O'Brien

Key points

  • Open seat: incumbent Dan Schaetzle lost the May 5, 2026 Republican primary to James O'Brien, 1,665 (57.8%) to 1,214 (42.2%). Democrat Jan Cervelli ran unopposed in her primary. (95.3 MNC)
  • St. Joseph County government adopted a $218.5 million budget for 2026, about $801 per resident; that is +18.2% 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 -14.5% versus prior law once fully in effect (2028, since delayed to 2029 by HEA 1210). (Indiana Legislative Services Agency)

Sources

Researched Sunday, October 11, 2026

  1. Indiana Code 36-2-3-2: County council as fiscal body; size (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  2. Indiana Code 36-2-5-2: Tax rates and appropriations (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  3. Indiana Code 36-2-5-3: Compensation of officers and employees (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  4. Indiana Code 36-2-3-4: Council districts and at-large members (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  5. Commissioners Responsibilities (Boone County, Indiana)
  6. About the County Council (Hancock County, Indiana)
  7. Indiana Code 36-2-3-1: Application of chapter (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  8. County Government Overview: Indiana (National Association of Counties (NACo))
  9. Indiana Code 36-2-3-3: Election and term of fiscal body (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  10. 2026 General Election Candidate List (Indiana Election Division)
  11. Monroe County voters put three incumbent Democrats back on county council (The B Square Bulletin (Dave Askins))
  12. Indiana Code 3-8-1-22: Candidates for county council (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  13. 2026 Indiana Candidate Guide (Indiana Election Division)
  14. Indiana Code 36-2-5-11: Annual budget, tax rate and salary ordinances (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  15. Indiana Code 36-2-2-5: Qualifications and residency of members; district or countywide election (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  16. Major Changes to Expenditure Rate of LIT in SEA 1 (2025) (Barnes & Thornburg LLP)
  17. Legislation Affecting Local Income Taxes (memorandum on HEA 1210-2026) (Indiana Department of Local Government Finance)
  18. County Specific Information (Indiana Department of Local Government Finance)
  19. Republicans may win St. Joseph County Council majority, flipping body from Democrats (WVPE)
  20. 2026 primary election results (95.3 MNC)
  21. Democratic County Council candidate weighs in on the potential Granger TIF district (ABC57)
  22. Schaetzle calls for bipartisanship, GOP calls for him to leave party (WVPE)
  23. St. Joseph County Council approves 2026 budget (WNDU)
  24. St. Joseph County Council elects Democrat Bryan Tanner as new president (WNDU)
  25. St. Joseph County Council votes to begin data center ban process (InkFreeNews)
  26. Jamie O'Brien wins Republican nomination for St. Joseph County Council District C (WNDU)
  27. Both candidates for St. Joseph County Council District C call for data center moratorium (WNDU)
  28. Proposed TIF district near Granger data center faces pushback (ABC57)
  29. St. Joseph County leaders begin 2027 budget process (ABC57)
  30. Council member: Microsoft won't seek tax break for data center (WVPE)
  31. Council president worries data center ban could bring lawsuits (WVPE)
  32. St. Joseph County Council votes against data center proposal in New Carlisle (WNDU)
  33. Republican St. Joseph County Council members file to stop hyperscale data center growth in county (ABC57)
  34. Saint Joseph County Council decides to close Portage Manor, 5-4 vote (ABC57)
  35. St. Joseph County council votes to preserve Portage Manor amid restoration proposals (WNDU)
  36. Portage Manor sale sparks power debate between council, commissioners (WVPE)
  37. Jan Cervelli to present petition for data center pause at St. Joseph County Council meeting (Cervelli campaign)
  38. Republican candidates file for St. Joseph County races in 2026 midterm election (WNDU)
  39. Jan Cervelli for County Council (campaign website) (Cervelli campaign)
  40. Issues (Cervelli campaign)
  41. St. Joseph County Council members propose ban on data centers (95.3 MNC)
  42. Residents pack community meeting over Microsoft data center tax district (WNDU)
  43. Drake and O'Brien win respective primary races for St. Joseph County Council districts (ABC57)
  44. About Jan (Cervelli campaign)
  45. Saint Mary's president resigns (Inside INdiana Business)
  46. 2026 Candidates (St. Joseph County Democratic Party)
What's included
the U.S. House, statewide offices, every Indiana House and Senate district on the ballot, Indiana's statewide public questions and judicial retention questions, and county, township, city, town and school board races from the Indiana Election Division's candidate list.
Everything else
Local races (county, city, school board, judges) and anything else on your ballot are on your official sample ballot: IndianaVoters.in.gov.
Candidate lists
As of Sunday, October 18, 2026.
At the polls
Indiana law lets you bring a list of candidates and public questions into the polling place, including one stored on your phone, as long as you don't electioneer. IC 3-11-8-18.5

This is not an official ballot. Confirm your registration, polling place and ballot with your election office through vote.gov.