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Nov
27
Lake County Income Tax Passes Council
Filed Under COIT, Income Tax, Lake County, Lake County Council
The Lake County Council passed a 1 percent income tax yesterday in a 4-3 vote.
The Council will vote a second time December 12 — if the tax passes that vote, it will be sent to the Lake County Commissioners for a vote December 19. If the tax legislation is vetoed, it will come back the Council for a vote December 27.
The Lake County Commissioners have promised to veto any income tax if they vote, but Buzzcut over that Blue County in a Red State predicts that Council member Tom O’Donnell will in favor of the tax on a second vote.
Writes Buzzcut:
Tom O’Donnell is in favor of an income tax. He was only against the tax because of the distribution formula. He held out to get the distribution formula changed to one that benefits his constituents more.
But that distribution formula is not beneficial to Mayor Clay or north county. It is Mayor Clay’s priority to get the formula changed.
You can see from the above quote that Mayor Clay is going to get the formula changed. He has 4 votes on the council to do so.
The Council members who voted in favor of the income tax have proposed a hybrid distribution formula that will allocate some of the new tax for property tax relief for homeowners living in their homes as a way to gain another vote to override the Commissioners’ promised veto.
Writes the Post-Tribune’s John Byrne:
But two of the three councilmen who voted against it Monday said they believe the hybrid plan can yield an income tax formula beneficial to their constituents.
“This is much more palatable than what we have discussed before,” said Councilman Tom O’Donnell, D-Dyer.
O’Donnell, Larry Blanchard, R-Crown Point, and Ted Bilski, D-Hobart, all voted “no” Monday.
But Bilski joined O’Donnell in predicting council members can hammer out a compromise before the end of the year, ending months of rancor over which part of the county will see the greatest windfall from the income tax.
Blanchard remained resolutely against it.
Voting to raise Lake County voter’s taxes are:
Elsie Brown-Franklin
William (Will) Smith, Jr.
Ernie Dillon
Christine Cid
Voting against imposing a new tax burden are:
Ted Bilski
Thomas C. O’Donnell
Larry Blanchard
It’s not too late to let your council member know your opinion. The Lake County Council’s address is 2293 N. Main St., Crown Point, IN 46307. Telephone 219-755-3000.
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One Response to “Lake County Income Tax Passes Council”
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Lake County Government already taxes 3 times more per capita than the State Average. An income tax will be another tool to pry money from the already overtaxed citizen. After they get it in place, they will start raising it. These people are suppose to be public servants and they are making slaves out of the people who work in Lake County. They hire all their relatives and give overpaid contracts to their friends and supporters. Will Smith is a convicted felon and he sits on the Council. He believes he will not have to quit the council if he is sentenced to less than a year. Write to Judge Philip P. Simon,Federal Court Building, 5400 Federal Plaza, Hammond, IN 46320, and ask him to give Smith the maximum penalty for tax evasion. He deserves it.