Johnson County Council, District 4
The Johnson County Council consists of seven members, four elected from districts and three elected at-large. Council members approve tax rates, salaries, and major expenditures for county departments and services. Each member serves a four-year term.
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John Mallers
(Rep)
What training and experiences have prepared you to serve on the county council?
How would you handle the upcoming potential decreases in property tax revenue for county operations?
What are your top priorities for the county budget, and how would you balance providing essential services with responsible fiscal management?
What factors would you consider when deciding whether to support economic development incentives, such as tax increment districts or tax abatements?
How will you engage with the community to understand residents’ needs and ensure their voices are reflected in council decisions?
What factors should local governments consider when evaluating proposals for data center development in Johnson County, including land use, infrastructure, energy demand, constituent input, and economic impacts?
I have been a CPA for over 30 years and have worked with county governments across the state. I served as the Budget Director at the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance, which oversees all 92 counties’ budgets. I have served on the County Council for the past three years. I was a member of the White River Township Fire Department Board before winning election to the Johnson County Council. I am a fiscally conservative Republican and believe the best government is local government because it is the closest to the people.
Johnson County shouldn't see significant decreases in property tax revenues. Senate Enrolled Act 1 reallocates who pays the property taxes, but our overall amount shouldn't decrease significantly. The current council has set a precedent of being very responsible with taxpayer's money. We have worked to require responsible budgeting and spending by county departments. We want to ensure that Johnson County remains the best place to raise a family, but at the same time stay within our means.
There are many essential services provided by county government. However, I tend to emphasize quality roads and bridges along with public safety. Without good roads and adequate police, fire, and EMS protection, Johnson County wouldn't attract new residents and businesses. Without new residents and businesses, we risk not having the revenue to fund our priorities in the future. I believe these services will help increase the county's tax base and county revenues, while keeping the rates as low as possible on individual residents. However, we have to balance providing essential services with responsible fiscal management. We as a council, have done that and will continue to do that.
You need to determine if the project would end up happening even without the tax incentives. You also need to determine the effect on the tax base as a whole. It could mean a delay of revenue or diversion of revenue from the county. Of course, you also have to look a the benefits such as new business development in the county and new jobs. Often, abatements are tied to job creation, so while there could be a temporary loss of property tax revenue, the long term gain in new jobs and the resulting income and sales tax gains could outweigh that. Not to mention the other jobs and economic activity that would be created as a result of having new residents such as new homes being built.
The public should always be engaged with government. We are of the people, for the people, and by the people. For the County Council – we have all our meetings streamed online and the meetings are all public – meaning anyone can attend. We encourage the residents to bring their fiscal concerns to us and to stay engaged. We want to be good stewards of tax dollars and, to ensure that happens, we need to hear from the public.
This isn't really a Council issue, it is more of a Commissioner duty. However, this will require the cooperation of both county officials and private sector experts to deal with the relevant issues. Data center development is important for this country's goal to be a leader in AI. However, these centers use significant amounts water and electricity. You want to avoid having this cause an increase in utility rates for county residents.
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