From the Northwest Indiana Times:
Lake County Commissioner Gerry Scheub began his series Thursday of six town hall-style meetings by talking about how the county is coping in a troubled economy.
A crowd of about 30 asked few questions after Scheub discussed how county officials are dealing with reduced property taxes and unfunded mandates.
"Over the past four years, we've reduced county costs more than any other county in the state," Scheub said.
Spending cuts have been dramatic and hundreds of county employees have been laid off, he said.
Still, Scheub said, the budget is an uphill battle because of more money heading to the state.
"The state is using us to balance their budget ... 75 percent of our casino money now goes to the state. They keep raising it," he said.
"The state keeps taking our road money," he said. "Every year, you're getting less and less."
Lake County Highway Department Superintendent Marc Malczewski agreed.
"It's a tragedy. ... We've seen our roads go to pot. The state Legislature refuses ... to provide funding," he said.
The last gasoline tax increase was in 2003. In that time, materials for road maintenance and replacement have shot up 128 percent, he said.
Scheub said the county averages replacement of 3.5 miles of road a year, based on funding.
"I want to file a lawsuit," he said.
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Read more: http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/scheub-state-takes-too-much-money-from-county/article_52c5e6a6-d3ce-5657-aad9-eb5ff3ed61ab.html#ixzz1rGvrzzYU
