Jane Jordan was interested in returning as clerk-treasurer for Burns Harbor but has now withdrawn after the Town Council wouldn’t consider her compensation request.
The clerk-treasurer’s job became officially open on May 14 when the resignation of Nicole Migliorini took effect.
Don Craft, chairman of the Porter County Democratic Party, said he hopes to appoint a new clerk-treasurer before the council’s next meeting on May 28.
Craft is making the appointment in consultation with the Town Council. There are two candidates for the job and Craft acknowledged that one of them is Burns Harbor Councilman Nick Loving, a Democrat.
Loving didn’t return phone messages seeking comment.
The Democratic party chairman is empowered to make the appointment without a caucus because the Town of Burns Harbor consists of one voting precinct.
Migliorini cited an “impossible” working environment as the reason for her resignation because the council refused her request to hire a second full-time assistant clerk. She had served on the job for less than a year.
Jordan, a Democrat, had served 20 years as the Burns Harbor clerk-treasurer and had been re-elected to another four-year term in November 2023. She is considered an expert in her field as the state has called upon her to lead training seminars for clerks.
She suddenly resigned on May 8, 2024, along with her husband Kurt Jordan who had been elected to the Town Council in November 2023, because of issues with the Burns Harbor Volunteer Fire Department Corporation concerning public records access and alleged violations of Indiana Code in customer billing for emergency services. The Jordans resigned because they believed the Town Council, along with county and state officials, were unresponsive.
Jordan said she became aware on May 7 that Migliorini was going to resign, so she reached out to Craft.
“I love this town and I love the residents,” Jordan said, stating why she considered coming back.
Since she left the job, Jordan had been drawing a pension from the state of Indiana.
Because she was drawing a pension, Jordan said the town would be prohibited from contributing 11.2% of her salary toward a pension. She said that if she had returned it would be for less than the total compensation she had been paid before.
Under state law, a political subdivision can add compensation for certifications that an employee attains. Jordan said she has seven state and international certifications as a clerk. She asked that the town consider raising her salary since the town wouldn’t be making a pension contribution.
Jordan said she sent her request by email to the town’s attorney. She received word back that the council at its Wednesday meeting didn’t consider her request. She then notified Craft that she was withdrawing.
Craft said he understood that there was one council member — Jack McGraw — interested in bringing Jordan back.
McGraw didn’t return a phone message seeking comment.
Council President Jennifer McHargue at Wednesday’s meeting said that they would follow the law and fill the position.
When asked about whether Jordan was one of the candidates, McHargue replied “no comment.”
Jim Woods is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
