Five St. Joseph County Races Put Development, Public Safety and Taxes in Front of Voters

On Nov. 3, you’ll choose who sets the value of your home, who keeps the books on your tax dollars, who runs the county jail and who decides which crimes get charged. Voters in commissioner District 1 will also fill one of three seats on the Board of Commissioners, which on Oct. 6 approved the county’s second agreement with Microsoft to run water and sewer lines to its Granger data center site. Rezoning farmland is the County Council’s call, where five council seats are on the ballot and two are uncontested.

The data center fight shows how far those jobs reach. At the Sept. 22 meeting, the St. Joseph County Council voted 6-3 to start writing a ban on new hyperscale data centers in the county’s unincorporated areas. The resolution hands the drafting to the Area Plan Commission, and the ordinance is due back for a final council vote within 60 days, ABC57 reported. Residents who spoke during the public comment said they were worried about water use, strain on the power grid and farmland lost to construction.

“As a community, we have to stop thinking only about economic development,” Brian Will of Granger said, during the public hearing. “We must start focusing on the quality of life in Indiana.” Haley Nice of Mishawaka said she worried that additional projects would “pull more energy from our grid” and cause brownouts and blackouts.

Data centers are only one of the issues before St Joseph County voters on Nov. 3. Your ballot carries 11 county races, and this guide covers five of them: commissioner, sheriff, assessor, auditor and prosecutor. Three contested county council races, two uncontested council races and the clerk’s race are on the ballot, too.

The public dollars involved in these five offices are substantial. The state certified 2026 budgets totaling $135.7 million for 12 county funds, according to the Department of Local Government Finance. The largest, a $90.7 million general fund, pays for the sheriff’s police and jail along with other county operations. An $11.6 million highway fund, which carries no property tax levy, pays for county roads. Those funds cover only part of what the county spends. The County Council approves the budget, the commissioners approve the county’s bills and the auditor keeps the books.

The following breaks down the duties and responsibilities of the offices, the candidates vying for your support, what they propose and how their decisions could affect your life.

County Commissioner: Development, Roads and Public Access

Republican incumbent Carl Baxmeyer, president of the Board of Commissioners, faces Democratic Sheriff Bill Redman in District 1. The winner will serve on a three-member board that oversees county operations, contracts, facilities and roads.

Data centers have brought the candidates’ approaches to growth and public accountability into focus. Baxmeyer has defended development, arguing that it broadens the tax base. During a May discussion about Microsoft’s Granger project, he argued that big companies’ investment in these data centers could offset losses associated with state property tax relief.

“Who do you want to pay the bill, us as individuals or these big companies that are investing here?” Baxmeyer said, and WVPE reported.

At a Sept. 29 forum hosted by We Make Indiana, Baxmeyer again backed data centers, citing high-paying jobs, and said they shouldn’t use excessive water. In May, he opposed a moratorium and asked the council to toughen development rules for all industrial projects instead. Redman called for higher industry standards and said he would refuse to sign nondisclosure agreements.

“I certainly don’t agree with nondisclosure agreements, and I will not participate in any of those,” Redman said in a report by ABC57.

South Bend announced a separate proposed data center framework Oct. 6, but that framework covers city projects only.

Redman’s campaign priorities also include reliable snow removal, road repairs and supporting first responders without increasing taxes. Commissioners share financial responsibilities with the County Council, which adopts the budget, as explained in the Indiana County Commissioners’ Handbook.

How does this race impact you? The race could change control of the board. A Redman victory would put him alongside Democrat Rafael Morton and Republican Tony Hazen, giving Democrats a majority.

Sheriff: Responding to Violence and People in Crisis

Democrat Scott Ruszkowski and Republican Rod Laureys are competing to succeed Redman, who is finishing his second term.

The next sheriff will oversee jail operations and law enforcement. At an Oct. 8 forum, both candidates discussed gun violence, immigration and community trust.

Ruszkowski, South Bend’s police chief for the past 11 years, pointed to his department’s Group Violence Intervention work and emphasized cooperation beyond law enforcement. He also talked about crisis intervention services that help connect people with treatment for mental health emergencies, and addressed gun violence.

“I take it personal,” Ruszkowski said in a report by ABC57. “We all should.”

Laureys, a county police officer with experience on a federal firearms task force, agreed that some people experiencing a mental health crisis don’t belong in jail. On the gun violence issue, he advocated for “prevention, partnership and execution” on a community-wide scale, calling for cooperation among law enforcement agencies.

Asked by the South Bend Tribune this spring how they would work with ICE, both Ruszkowski and Laureys agree to cooperate lawfully with federal immigration authorities; however, they both oppose indiscriminate immigration enforcement.

How does this race impact you? Their decisions will affect how deputies respond to residents and how people are treated in the jail.

Assessor: Getting Property Values Right

Republican incumbent Mike Castellon faces Democrat Victor “Vic” Cummings in a race centered on property values and how residents navigate assessments.

An assessment of a property’s gross assessed value is one part of a property tax bill. Other components involve the auditor, treasurer and taxing bodies, according to the county’s taxpayer information.

Castellon was elected county assessor in 2022 after serving as Penn Township assessor. His campaign biography emphasizes staff certification, technology and public outreach.

“The first step in promoting fairness is maintaining open communication with the homeowner,” Castellon wrote in his VOTE411 questionnaire.

He points to revised neighborhood boundaries and changes to the appeals process among other measures to improve consistency.

Cummings works in sales and graduated from Clay High School. His campaign website also says he coached high school football.

“Fairness and accuracy depend on data integrity and transparency,” Cummings wrote in his VOTE411 response. He wants to emphasize accurate building information, market analysis and easier-to-understand language for property owners.

How does this race impact you? When disputing a property valuation, the office’s responsiveness can matter as much as its methods. The practical issues that need addressing are whether the property information is correct, whether comparable properties are treated consistently and whether residents understand the steps necessary to challenge an assessment.

Auditor: Making Public Money Easier to Follow

Republican Abby Doyle, the county’s chief deputy auditor, faces Democrat Autumn Kaylor.

The auditor maintains financial records, helps prepare budgets and administers parts of the property tax system, including deductions and distributions. Indiana State Board of Accounts guidance outlines the office’s financial responsibilities. The auditor provides financial analysis but does not decide which projects receive funding.

Doyle holds a master’s degree in accounting. Her campaign website highlights experience with county financial reporting and online applications for property tax deductions and credits.

“My first priority is to open the office full-day Monday through Friday,” Doyle wrote in her VOTE411 response.

She also proposes upgrading the property tax system and expanding outreach so residents understand the deductions and credits available to them.

Kaylor’s campaign biography highlights her MBA from the University of Notre Dame and her 15 years as an economist for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“Taxpayers deserve to know how their money is being spent,” Kaylor wrote in her VOTE411 response. In her VOTE411 answers, she says she led the office’s move to online applications for property tax deductions and credits.

She proposes reviewing office procedures, developing multiyear financial forecasts and making information easier to access and understand.

Both candidates support transparency and ease of public use in accessing records. Doyle describes working toward a dashboard showing project budgets and expenditures. Kaylor proposes searchable summaries explaining public commitments and financial effects.

How does this race impact you? Residents would benefit from these changes when trying to understand a development agreement or applying for tax benefits.

Prosecutor: Accountability, Evidence and Second Chances

Democrat Amy Cressy faces Republican John Maciejczyk in the race for prosecutor.

Cressy, the county’s chief deputy prosecutor, began in the office as an intern in 2003 and later handled major crimes involving drugs, guns and gangs, according to her campaign biography.

Her VOTE411 responses distinguish violent and repeat offenders from people accused of low-level offenses who may qualify for treatment or diversion.

“Shoplifters are not shooters,” Cressy wrote.

She supports reviewing the evidence and justification for charges throughout a case, including after conviction.

Maciejczyk, a former county chief deputy prosecutor and federal prosecutor, lists his current position as an assistant public defender in Elkhart County. In his VOTE411 responses, he proposes stronger communication with police, additional training for deputy prosecutors and monthly publication of charging, plea and jury trial results.

“A prosecutor’s job is not just to get convictions, but to do the right thing,” Maciejczyk wrote.

Both support diversion for some defendants. Cressy emphasizes accountability coupled with opportunities to change; Maciejczyk emphasizes eligibility standards, victim input and restitution.

How does this race impact you? The office’s decisions reach beyond a verdict and determine whether charges are filed, how victims’ interests are considered and whether an eligible defendant can complete diversion programs instead of facing a criminal conviction.

An officer is dispatched to the scene of a person in the middle of a mental health crisis. A deputy prosecutor will recommend either diversion or jail time for a shoplifter. And in Granger, Microsoft is building a data center under new county limits on low-frequency sound, the kind neighbors shouldn’t hear but may possibly feel. On Nov. 3, you choose who handles each of them.