Jay County, IN elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities
Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Jay County: 55 seats on 38 elected bodies. 29 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.
The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 27 local governments in Jay County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.
Kind of government
Census count (2022)
Listed on this page
County government
1
1
Cities, towns, villages and townships (6 municipal, 12 township)
18
14
School districts (school boards)
1
0
Special districts (elected boards)
7
0
Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).
About these counts
The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments, though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.
Who lives in Jay County
20,229people
39.5median ageU.S.: 38.9
$54,969 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
14.4%below the U.S.: 12.5%
13.3%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$117,500median home valueU.S.: $332,700
4.4%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
1.1%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
6%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
10.8%U.S.: 8.4%
51.8%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
24%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 4.6% · White 92.8% · Black 0.3% · Asian 0.1% · Other or more than one race 2.3% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)
Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).
About these figures
The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.
Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.
Jobs in Jay County
3.4%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.4%. Indiana: 3.7%.
324people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
9,075people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
9,399in the September 2026, preliminary.
Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.
Every month, last two years
Month
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)
3.4%
324
9,075
9,399
August 2026
3.1%
298
9,186
9,484
July 2026
3.3%
310
9,169
9,479
June 2026
3.4%
325
9,265
9,590
May 2026
2.9%
287
9,491
9,778
April 2026
2.4%
223
9,172
9,395
March 2026
3.2%
299
9,109
9,408
February 2026
3.5%
327
8,928
9,255
January 2026
2.9%
270
8,928
9,198
December 2025
2.4%
219
9,043
9,262
November 2025
3.0%
279
8,921
9,200
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
3.4%
325
9,107
9,432
August 2025
3.7%
355
9,196
9,551
July 2025
4.0%
386
9,322
9,708
June 2025
3.7%
358
9,266
9,624
May 2025
3.5%
332
9,257
9,589
April 2025
3.0%
277
9,078
9,355
March 2025
3.5%
330
9,035
9,365
February 2025
3.9%
366
9,089
9,455
January 2025
3.8%
353
9,000
9,353
December 2024
3.3%
314
9,061
9,375
November 2024
3.8%
356
8,974
9,330
October 2024
3.5%
326
9,122
9,448
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
3.4%
325
9,119
9,444
2024
3.6%
338
9,183
9,521
2023
2.9%
272
9,139
9,411
2022
2.6%
239
9,092
9,331
2021
2.8%
258
8,981
9,239
2020
6.4%
591
8,690
9,281
2019
2.8%
283
9,697
9,980
2018
3.1%
322
10,033
10,355
2017
3.3%
344
10,003
10,347
2016
4.2%
447
10,087
10,534
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. Indiana's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 3.4% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.
Crime reported in Jay County
102.1 per 100,0002019. Indiana: 371.5.
634.2 per 100,0002019. Indiana: 1,947.7.
1murders2019, 19 violent crimes in all.
2019 is the latest year with complete reporting here: at least one of the county's police agencies didn't send the FBI a full year of figures since, so later totals would be undercounts.
Earlier years
Year
Violent
Rate
Property
Rate
2019
19
102.1
118
634.2
2018
30
160.2
145
774.2
2017
18
95.4
133
705.0
2016
17
90.1
138
731.3
By police agency (2)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Jay County Sheriff's Office
2023
6
19
11,919
Portland Police Department
2019
12
65
6,069
Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in Indiana · the U.S.
Police staffing
1.32 per 1,000 residents2016, 2 agencies serving 18,871 people.
25sworn officers2016, full-time, as of October 31.
32civilian staff2016, full-time.
2016 is the latest year every agency here sent the FBI its staff count.
Agencies counted (2), 2016
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Jay County Sheriff's Office
13
28
12,688
Portland Police Department
12
4
6,183
Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.
Quick answers
Who is the Jay County County Assessor?
Robin Alberson (Republican) is the County Assessor of Jay County, Indiana. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Jay County County Auditor?
Emily J Franks (Republican) is the County Auditor of Jay County, Indiana. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Jay County Clerk of the Circuit Court?
Missy Eads Elliott (Republican) is the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Jay County, Indiana.
Who is the Jay County County Coroner?
Brayden Fields (Republican) is the County Coroner of Jay County, Indiana.
Who is the Jay County Prosecuting Attorney?
Wesley A. Schemenaur (Democratic) is the Prosecuting Attorney of Jay County, Indiana. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Jay County County Recorder?
Melanie J Upp (Republican) is the County Recorder of Jay County, Indiana. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Jay County Sheriff?
Larry "Ray" Newton Jr. (Republican) is the Sheriff of Jay County, Indiana. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Jay County County Surveyor?
Bradley A Daniels (Republican) is the County Surveyor of Jay County, Indiana.
Who is the Jay County County Treasurer?
Jonelle Foreman (Republican) is the County Treasurer of Jay County, Indiana.
Who are the Jay County commissioners?
Chad Aker (Middle District); Doug Horn (North District); Duane Monroe (South District); Randy May (County Council Member, District 1); Harold A Towell (County Council Member, District 2); Faron D Parr (County Council Member, District 3); Cindy Gagle Bracy (County Council Member, District 4); Michael E Brewster (County Council Member, At-large); Bryan Alexander (County Council Member, At-large); Matt Minnich (County Council Member, At-large).
What is the population of Jay County?
About 20,229 people, with a median age of 39.5; the median household income is $54,969 and 14.4% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Jay County?
3.4% in September 2026 (preliminary): 324 people unemployed in a labor force of 9,399, against 3.4% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Jay County?
27 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 6 municipal, 12 township, 1 school district and 7 special district governments.
What cities and towns are in Jay County?
27: Bearcreek Township, Bearcreek Township, Dunkirk, Dunkirk, Greene Township, Greene Township, Jackson Township, Jackson Township, Jefferson Township, Jefferson Township, Knox Township, Knox Township, Madison Township, Madison Township, Noble Township, Noble Township, Penn Township, Penn Township, Pike Township, Pike Township, Portland, Portland, Richland Township, Richland Township, Wabash Township, Wabash Township, Wayne Township. Each has its own page with its mayor and council.
Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the Indiana Election Division's certified results of each seat's last election (the 2022 and 2024 generals and the 2023 municipal election, on enr.indianavoters.in.gov); county vacancies are filled by party caucus, so officials appointed since then may differ; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.
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