County

County Council Member, Boone County

District 2

Vote for: 1
Term: 4 years
Candidates: 2
Election: Nov 3, 2026

What this office does: The county council is Boone County's fiscal body: it adopts the budget, sets tax rates and approves spending.

Candidates Compare by issue

Gretchen Smith

Republican

Farmer; former Boone County auditor

The gist

Pledges a balanced budget while keeping tax rates low
Supports alternative funding strategies for roads and bridges
Supports separating wants from needs in county spending

More about Gretchen

View sources (2)

Pledges a balanced budget while keeping tax rates low
Two-person race in GOP primary for Boone County Council District 2
Candidate questionnaire · Current in Zionsville (Current Publishing) · Apr 23, 2026 · youarecurrent.com
“My top three campaign issues are maintaining a balanced budget while keeping tax rates low”
Supports alternative funding strategies for roads and bridges
Two-person race in GOP primary for Boone County Council District 2
Candidate questionnaire · Current in Zionsville (Current Publishing) · Apr 23, 2026 · youarecurrent.com
“We must explore alternative funding strategies for critical infrastructure, especially roads and bridges”
Supports separating wants from needs in county spending
Contested candidates debate their approach to the county's rapid growth
News coverage · The Lebanon Reporter · Sep 11, 2026 · reporter.net
“Smith said government needs to distinguish between wants and needs when spending taxpayer money”

Kevin W Prather

Democratic

Retired aerospace manager (Rolls-Royce)

The gist

Opposes data centers as a drain on county resources
Supports county funding for local public libraries
Pledges public briefings after each county council meeting

More about Kevin

View sources (2)

Opposes data centers as a drain on county resources
Contested candidates debate their approach to the county's rapid growth
News coverage · The Lebanon Reporter · Sep 11, 2026 · reporter.net
“Prather was particularly critical of the Meta data center development and said water availability is one of the issues motivating his campaign.”
Democrat Boone County Council Candidate lays out plans
Candidate questionnaire · The Lebanon Reporter · Apr 15, 2026 · reporter.net
“Data centers do not provide a benefit to our residents, but monopolize resources and result in added costs for our households.”
Supports county funding for local public libraries
Democrat Boone County Council Candidate lays out plans
Candidate questionnaire · The Lebanon Reporter · Apr 15, 2026 · reporter.net
“Unequivocally YES! Education is the great equalizer.”
Pledges public briefings after each county council meeting
Democrat Boone County Council Candidate lays out plans
Candidate questionnaire · The Lebanon Reporter · Apr 15, 2026 · reporter.net
“I commit that if elected I will hold briefings in person or virtually to review minutes and actions”

Challengers are listed first and incumbents last; otherwise candidates appear in ballot order. The Gist does not rank, rate or endorse candidates. Only positions backed by a cited source are shown; 5 issues covered in this race.