Wayne County, IN elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities
Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Wayne County: 90 seats on 44 elected bodies. 69 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.
Board of Commissioners
Wayne County Board of Commissioners
| Office | Who holds it now | Next term |
|---|---|---|
| County Commissioner, District 1 | Brad Dwenger Republican source | On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet |
| County Commissioner, District 2 | Aaron Roberts Republican source | |
| County Commissioner, District 3 | Jeff Plasterer Republican source |
Wayne County Council
| Office | Who holds it now | Next term |
|---|---|---|
| County Council Member, District 1 | Robert V (Bob) Chamness Republican source | On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet |
| County Council Member, District 2 | Barry Ritter Republican source | On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet |
| County Council Member, District 3 | Beth Leisure Republican source | On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet |
| County Council Member, District 4 | Tony Gillam Republican source | On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet |
| County Council Member, At-large | Gerald (Gary) Saunders Republican source | |
| County Council Member, At-large | Cathy C Williams Republican source | |
| County Council Member, At-large | Max Smith Republican source |
County officers
| Office | Who holds it now | Next term |
|---|---|---|
| County Assessor | Timothy G Smith Republican source | On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet |
| County Auditor | Mark A Hoelscher Republican source | On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet |
| Clerk of the Circuit Court | Tara Pegg Republican source | |
| County Coroner | R Brent Meadows Republican source | |
| Prosecuting Attorney | Michael (Mike) Shipman Republican source | On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet |
| County Recorder | Debbie Tiemann Republican source | On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet |
| Sheriff | Randy Retter Republican source | On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet |
| County Surveyor | Gordon E Moore Republican source | |
| County Treasurer | Beth Fields Republican source |
Cities and towns
How many local governments Wayne County has
The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 46 local governments in Wayne 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 (14 municipal, 15 township) | 29 | 16 |
| School districts (school boards) | 5 | 0 |
| Special districts (elected boards) | 11 | 0 |
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 Wayne County
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 4% · White 85.7% · Black 3.8% · Asian 0.9% · Other or more than one race 5.7% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)
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 Wayne County
Every month, last two years
| Month | Rate | Unemployed | Employed | Labor force |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 (preliminary) | 3.9% | 1,185 | 29,556 | 30,741 |
| August 2026 | 3.7% | 1,125 | 29,478 | 30,603 |
| July 2026 | 3.8% | 1,161 | 29,467 | 30,628 |
| June 2026 | 3.8% | 1,170 | 29,908 | 31,078 |
| May 2026 | 3.3% | 1,027 | 30,042 | 31,069 |
| April 2026 | 2.8% | 842 | 29,713 | 30,555 |
| March 2026 | 3.6% | 1,089 | 29,554 | 30,643 |
| February 2026 | 3.9% | 1,199 | 29,628 | 30,827 |
| January 2026 | 3.3% | 1,009 | 29,682 | 30,691 |
| December 2025 | 2.7% | 825 | 30,012 | 30,837 |
| November 2025 | 3.3% | 1,016 | 30,021 | 31,037 |
| October 2025 | not collected (2025 federal shutdown) | |||
| September 2025 | 3.7% | 1,150 | 29,939 | 31,089 |
| August 2025 | 4.0% | 1,254 | 29,984 | 31,238 |
| July 2025 | 4.4% | 1,371 | 29,920 | 31,291 |
| June 2025 | 4.2% | 1,307 | 30,039 | 31,346 |
| May 2025 | 3.8% | 1,173 | 29,934 | 31,107 |
| April 2025 | 3.5% | 1,079 | 29,981 | 31,060 |
| March 2025 | 4.0% | 1,239 | 29,667 | 30,906 |
| February 2025 | 4.4% | 1,360 | 29,535 | 30,895 |
| January 2025 | 4.5% | 1,374 | 29,418 | 30,792 |
| December 2024 | 4.0% | 1,238 | 29,608 | 30,846 |
| November 2024 | 4.2% | 1,313 | 29,694 | 31,007 |
| October 2024 | 4.0% | 1,226 | 29,757 | 30,983 |
Yearly averages
| Year | Rate | Unemployed | Employed | Labor force |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 (11 months) | 3.8% | 1,195 | 29,859 | 31,054 |
| 2024 | 4.2% | 1,311 | 29,795 | 31,106 |
| 2023 | 3.4% | 1,043 | 29,458 | 30,501 |
| 2022 | 3.1% | 945 | 29,738 | 30,683 |
| 2021 | 3.8% | 1,160 | 29,307 | 30,467 |
| 2020 | 6.8% | 2,089 | 28,824 | 30,913 |
| 2019 | 3.5% | 1,104 | 30,769 | 31,873 |
| 2018 | 3.5% | 1,123 | 31,080 | 32,203 |
| 2017 | 3.7% | 1,159 | 30,556 | 31,715 |
| 2016 | 4.6% | 1,474 | 30,359 | 31,833 |
Quick answers
- Who is the Wayne County County Assessor?
- Timothy G Smith (Republican) is the County Assessor of Wayne County, Indiana. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
- Who is the Wayne County County Auditor?
- Mark A Hoelscher (Republican) is the County Auditor of Wayne County, Indiana. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
- Who is the Wayne County Clerk of the Circuit Court?
- Tara Pegg (Republican) is the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Wayne County, Indiana.
- Who is the Wayne County County Coroner?
- R Brent Meadows (Republican) is the County Coroner of Wayne County, Indiana.
- Who is the Wayne County Prosecuting Attorney?
- Michael (Mike) Shipman (Republican) is the Prosecuting Attorney of Wayne County, Indiana. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
- Who is the Wayne County County Recorder?
- Debbie Tiemann (Republican) is the County Recorder of Wayne County, Indiana. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
- Who is the Wayne County Sheriff?
- Randy Retter (Republican) is the Sheriff of Wayne County, Indiana. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
- Who is the Wayne County County Surveyor?
- Gordon E Moore (Republican) is the County Surveyor of Wayne County, Indiana.
- Who is the Wayne County County Treasurer?
- Beth Fields (Republican) is the County Treasurer of Wayne County, Indiana.
- Who are the Wayne County commissioners?
- Brad Dwenger (District 1); Aaron Roberts (District 2); Jeff Plasterer (District 3); Robert V (Bob) Chamness (County Council Member, District 1); Barry Ritter (County Council Member, District 2); Beth Leisure (County Council Member, District 3); Tony Gillam (County Council Member, District 4); Gerald (Gary) Saunders (County Council Member, At-large); Cathy C Williams (County Council Member, At-large); Max Smith (County Council Member, At-large).
- What is the population of Wayne County?
- About 66,397 people, with a median age of 41; the median household income is $55,692 and 17.9% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
- What is the unemployment rate in Wayne County?
- 3.9% in September 2026 (preliminary): 1,185 people unemployed in a labor force of 30,741, against 3.7% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
- How many local governments are there in Wayne County?
- 46 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 14 municipal, 15 township, 5 school district and 11 special district governments.
- What cities and towns are in Wayne County?
- 33: Abington Township, Abington Township, Boston Township, Boston Township, Center Township, Center Township, Clay Township, Clay Township, Dalton Township, Dalton Township, Franklin Township, Franklin Township, Greene Township, Greene Township, Harrison Township, Harrison Township, Jackson Township, Jackson Township, Jefferson Township, Jefferson Township, New Garden Township, New Garden Township, Perry Township, Perry Township, Richmond, Richmond, Washington Township, Washington Township, Wayne Township, Wayne Township, Wayne Township, Webster Township, Webster Township. Each has its own page with its mayor and council.
Wayne County's 2026 ballot and results · Every Indiana county · Indiana's members of Congress
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