Dec
23
Merry Christmas Porter Co! Lake Co.’s New Tax Will Cost You $1 Million
Filed Under COIT, Income Tax, Lake County, Lake County Council, Porter County, Will Smith Jr, corruption, politics, property tax crisis, tax revolt, taxes | Leave a Comment
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.
Dec
21
Will Buzzcut File Tax Lawsuit?
Filed Under Buzzcut, COIT, Income Tax, Lake County Commissioners, Lake County Council, lawsuit, property tax crisis, tax revolt, taxes | Leave a Comment
Will Buzzcut at Blue County in a Red State file a tax lawsuit seeking to have a court find that Will Smith, Jr.’s vote makes the Lake County Council’s vote in favor of a 1% income tax void?
Writes Buzzcut in a comment about an earlier post about the Lake County income tax passed by the Lake County Council and vetoed by the Lake County Commissioners:
I’ve already approached the legendary attorney John Price (remember him?) to see if he’s interested in a lawsuit on my behalf.
He says that it’s pretty clear that Will Smith was impeached by law and is not a councilmember, and thus anything that he voted on is null and void.
Dec
21
Scheub Threatens To Quit Democrats Over 1% Tax
Filed Under COIT, Gerry Scheub, Income Tax, Lake County, Lake County Commissioners, Lake County Council, property tax crisis, tax revolt, taxes | Leave a Comment
Lake County Commissioner Gerry Scheub threatens to quit the Democratic party if taxpayers aren’t allowed to speak before the Lake County Council votes to override the Commissioners’ veto of the 1% income tax legislation, reports the Northwest Indiana Times.
Lake County Commissioner Gerry Scheub said he is so upset about an aspect of the county income tax voting process he may resign from the Democratic Party.
“I don’t want to be part of this party if the Lake County Council doesn’t permit residents, citizens and taxpayers to speak prior to their vote Dec. 28,” Scheub, D-Schererville, said Thursday.
That pledge could result in the end of the 72-year-old politician’s long career in the Democratic Party, which includes 20 years as a St. John Township trustee and 11 in his current office as a chief executive in county government. …
“It’s as emotional as hell,” Scheub said Thursday.
Votes on the tax come as the county is mailing out 2007 property tax bills that are 13 percent to 23 percent higher than last year, the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance announced Thursday.
