County

County Assessor, St. Joseph County

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

What this office does: The county assessor oversees the assessment of property for property taxes across the county.

Candidates Compare by issue

Victor Cummings

Democratic

Sales representative; high school football coach

The gist

Pledges more staff training to reduce assessment errors
Pledges to coach property owners through state assessment rules
Pledges clear explanations of how assessments are set
Pledges closer review of neighborhoods with rapid value changes

More about Victor

View sources (2)

Pledges more staff training to reduce assessment errors
VOTE411 Voter Guide: St. Joseph County Assessor
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“First, I will prioritize staff training.”
Pledges to coach property owners through state assessment rules
Vic Cummings for St. Joseph County Assessor
Campaign website · Vic Cummings for County Assessor · vicforstjoe.com
“We will aim to coach everyone who needs help combatting the red tape at the Capitol.”
Pledges clear explanations of how assessments are set
VOTE411 Voter Guide: St. Joseph County Assessor
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“Taxpayers must understand the 'why' behind the number.”
Pledges closer review of neighborhoods with rapid value changes
VOTE411 Voter Guide: St. Joseph County Assessor
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I will pay close attention to neighborhoods experiencing rapid changes in value or high volumes of appeals.”

Mike Castellon

RepublicanIncumbent

St. Joseph County Assessor

The gist

Led update of neighborhood boundaries unchanged since 1995
Hosted yearly town halls to help residents with appeals
Led push for Level III certification across assessor's staff
Led launch of an online Engage Portal for taxpayers

More about Mike

View sources (2)

Led update of neighborhood boundaries unchanged since 1995
VOTE411 Voter Guide: St. Joseph County Assessor
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“we updated neighborhood boundaries—unchanged since 1995—and conducted a comprehensive land study”
Hosted yearly town halls to help residents with appeals
VOTE411 Voter Guide: St. Joseph County Assessor
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“we host several town hall meetings throughout the county each year”
Led push for Level III certification across assessor's staff
Meet Mike
Campaign website · Committee to Elect Michael Castellon · castellon4assessor.com
“every member of the 32-person staff either holds or is actively pursuing this certification”
Led launch of an online Engage Portal for taxpayers
VOTE411 Voter Guide: St. Joseph County Assessor
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“We have also implemented a state-of-the-art Engage Portal, which provides tutorials and access to a wide range of tools”

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; 2 issues covered in this race.