The Porter County Board of Commissioners will hold an administrative meeting at 2 p.m. Thursday in the commissioners chambers to prioritize the county’s road projects and discuss the proposed NIPSCO rate increase which the Indiana Office of the Utility Consumer Counselor is expected to rule on that day.
Board President Jim Biggs, R-North, said he will begin advocating publicly for an increase in the county’s .5% income tax to help pay the tab.
“I will make sure it gets explained in detail,” he said of what an income tax increase would look like. He doesn’t have a specific percentage in mind, nor does he have any control over whether such a hike is adopted as the County Council votes on tax increases and can achieve one with a simple majority.
It’s unclear how the council members would vote. Throughout the recent general election season the three at-large candidates who were elected – incumbents Council President Mike Brickner and Councilman Andy Bozak, as well as newcomer Michelle Harris, all Republicans — were non-commital on their stance on a public safety tax, a subcategory of the Local Income Tax, or LIT.
Commissioners Vice President Barb Regnitz, R-Center, would like to engage municipal advisor Baker Tilly to help analyze a potential LIT increase. The firm has been a consultant on the county’s general obligation bonding.
Regnitz admitted she’s done a 180 on the subject herself. “I campaigned on not raising taxes,” she said. “I feel this is an investment.”
She said road planning is particularly important since the county’s portion of the Community Crossings Matching Grant, which the county receives from the state, has not been budgeted for 2025, nor has an additional $6 million in paving.
Porter County Chief Deputy Auditor Dave Wichlinski clarified that the money has been budgeted but not funded.
To receive $1.5 million in CCMG money from the state, Porter County has a July 1 deadline with the state and an Aug. 1 deadline to sign contracts with contractors. Biggs said he was initially “lukewarm” about devising a road prioritization plan because the county highway department normally handles that, but agreed to the commissioners drafting a plan “because there’s so much” needed paving.
He said the county can’t continue to operate the paving of its 800 miles of roads as it’s done. “Where we used to blacktop, we’re now chip and sealing,” he said. “Everyone has noticed the roads are not holding up.”
Biggs and Regnitz said if the roads are not maintained correctly they will have to be torn out and rebuilt, an even more expensive endeavor. Regnitz said as the executive and legislative branch of county government the board needs to take a leadership role. “We haven’t put them in any sort of priority,” she said of needed road improvements.
Outgoing Commissioner Laura Blaney, D-South, won’t be in attendance because of a prior commitment. Biggs said incoming Commissioner Ed Morales, a Republican who will replace Blaney, will be in attendance, though he could not be reached for confirmation.
Shelley Jones is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
