Lake County’s soon-to-be approved 1% income tax — masterminded by convicted tax felon Will Smith, Jr. who was called an “asset” for getting the Lake County Council to support the imposition of a new tax burden behind closed doors away from public comment — will cost Porter County $1 million, reports the Northwest Indiana Times.

Merry Christmas, Porter County, from the Lake County Council!

Meanwhile, Will Smith, Jr. prepares to go away to the slammer for his own tax woes when he is sentenced by a federal judge in January.

Too bad he won’t be able to get work-release so he can continue to “serve” on the Lake County Council — the law probably isn’t crystal clear on that issue.

Reports Bill Dolan in the Northwest Indiana Times:

Lake County Councilman Will Smith, D-Gary, underwent a humiliating public trial and was found guilty three months ago of filing a false federal income tax form.

Critics say those circumstances — and the Lake County Council’s refusal of public input before adopting the measure — cast a pall over the county income tax that appears poised to become reality.

Smith and like-minded council members met outside public view to maneuver a fractious council — within a brief window of opportunity — into a series of votes that seem likely to conclude Friday with enactment of a 1 percent county income tax.

At that time, the Lake County Council is expected to override a veto of the tax cast by Lake County commissioners last week.

Sources within county government claim council members who supported the tax timed the only public discussion to take place late enough in the year so the move would not influence the election of big city mayors supporting the tax. The timing also satisfies a Dec. 31 deadline to avoid a state-mandated freeze of property tax increases.

Technorati Tags: COIT, corruption, Income Tax, Lake County, Lake County Council, politics, Porter County, property tax crisis, tax revolt, taxes, Will Smith Jr

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