Who makes the decisions? Understanding the St. Joseph County Council’s role in local government

On Jan. 6, a 6-3 vote crossed party lines on St. Joseph County Council. Republicans Randy Figg and Andy Rutten joined four Democrats to elect Democrat Bryan Tanner as the council president, WNDU and WVPE reported. The results showed how this 9-member council can go beyond partisan lines to make executive decisions for St. Joseph County.

The South Bend Tribune candidate questionnaire, republished by AOL, describes what’s at stake in this Nov. 3 election: Republicans hold a 5-4 council majority and all three contested seats in districts A, B and C. If a Democrat wins any of these seats, it tips the scales to a Democratic council majority. The other two seats, districts E and H, are uncontested.

Outside of party control, the council approves the spending that pays for public safety, county offices and community priorities. Knowing how the council works can empower community members to stay engaged with local governance beyond election season.

What does the county council do?

In St. Joseph County, the board of commissioners elected under IC 36-2-2 is the county’s executive body. The county council elected under IC 36-2-3 is the county’s legislative body as well as the county fiscal body. The 2023 County Commissioners Handbook lists St. Joseph County, along with Lake and Marion counties, as an exception to the usual distribution of legislative authority.

The nine council members adopt ordinances, approve budgets and appropriations and decide certain local financial matters and employee compensation. For example, a request for additional staff or equipment may require council approval before a department can spend money.

How does the council work with county commissioners?

The Board of Commissioners performs executive and administrative functions. Meanwhile, the council exercises legislative and fiscal authority. For example, commissioners may oversee operations or contracts, while council members decide how to appropriate funds for specific expenditures.

This distinction is important when residents are asking who is responsible for a project, a department’s funding or a policy decision.

The Contested Districts

District A: Joe Thomas and Mike Hamann

Republican incumbent Joe Thomas faces Democrat Mike Hamann. In the Tribune questionnaire, Thomas named three top priorities: opposing additional data centers, fiscal responsibility and public safety. At a Sept. 16 candidate forum, he said the county doesn’t know the consequences of data centers yet and pointed to construction traffic from Amazon’s project in New Carlisle, ABC57 reported. Hamann, a longtime teacher, wants policies that bring good-paying jobs, affordable housing and local healthcare access. He served two terms as St. Joseph County auditor, from 2015 through 2022.

District B: Amy Drake and Ranjan Rohatgi

Republican incumbent Amy Drake faces Democrat Ranjan Rohatgi. At that Sept. 16 forum, Drake said she was working on legislation to keep more hyperscale data centers out of the county. She calls property taxes voters’ other big issue and says the council can’t make some property tax changes without the Indiana legislature. Rohatgi’s priorities are ending partisan polarization and protecting public health and safety. On data centers, he said the county already has two and needs to figure out what they mean for its future.

While the candidates are largely in agreement over data centers, their contrasting approaches highlight how candidates balance financial oversight with broader community needs.

District C: Jan Cervelli and Jamie O’Brien

Democrat Jan Cervelli faces Republican Jamie O’Brien. District C, which covers all of Harris Township, including its part of Granger, plus four Clay Township precincts and three in Mishawaka, has an open seat. O’Brien, a Notre Dame accountancy professor who held the District C seat until he resigned in 2018, beat incumbent Dan Schaetzle in the May primary. Cervelli is a professor with degrees in landscape architecture.

O’Brien told the Tribune his priorities are ‘property tax reduction and preventing the further industrialization of Granger.’ At the Sept. 16 forum, he said he opposes any more data centers in Granger. A key part of this decision is scrutiny of the proposed public incentives from the county’s fiscal authority. Cervelli said, in focusing on residents over companies and nonlocal politicians, she’ll push for a return from every tax break, negotiate strong community benefit agreements so residents don’t pay for data centers’ infrastructure costs and advocate to remove sales tax on utilities.

The Uncontested Districts

District E: Lori A. Camp

Democrat Lori A. Camp is the only candidate listed for the District E seat that Democrat Diana Hess is leaving. Camp won the May primary over former county commissioner Dave Thomas. In 2024, she was the Democratic nominee for Congress in the 2nd District. She ran for Congress in 2024 as the Democratic nominee against Republican Rudy Yakym; WNDU described her then as an IT professional, a high school diving coach and a South Bend native.

Even without an opponent, the council members still vote on countywide legislation, budgets and appropriations.

District H: Bryan J. Tanner

Democrat Bryan J. Tanner is running unopposed in District H. As WNDU reported, Tanner became council president in January after a bipartisan vote. As president, he still represents District H and votes on countywide matters.

How residents can follow the council

According to the county’s 2026 council meeting schedule, committee meetings generally take place on the second Tuesday of the month and regular public hearings on the fourth Tuesday, both at 6 p.m.; October, November and December adjusted public-hearing dates. The county’s agenda center hosts records of agendas and minutes, and residents can confirm dates and opportunities to speak before attending council meetings.

Unless a statutory exception applies, meetings of government bodies must be open to the public, according to Indiana’s Open Door Law. Attending doesn’t guarantee a chance to speak, though designated public hearings may allow residents to comment. Indiana’s Access to Public Records Act allows requests for public documents. The county’s council contact page lists phone numbers for the council office and for each member. County Council contact information | Meeting agendas and minutes

Why the election matters

Party control of the council rides on this election. A victory in one contested district could change which party holds the majority in the county council. The most important aspect of this election is that, no matter who’s voted in these districts, it’s how those representatives will use their legislative and fiscal authority and the accountability that follows by the residents of St. Joseph County to the elected officials running for Districts A, B, C, E, and H.

The council’s next scheduled public hearing starts at 6 p.m. Nov. 17, two weeks after Election Day. Under the council’s rules, the last item before adjournment is “privilege of the floor”: three minutes for anything not on the agenda. Residents can evaluate the direction of local government through these five council elections and can start then and there.