Porter County Auditor Bob Wichlinski has collected nearly $1.6 million since last year from taxpayers improperly receiving a homestead deduction.
The success of the effort has allowed Wichlinski to team up with Porter County assessor and treasurer's offices to collect nearly $1 million in back taxes, usher in e-government, help assure tax bills are in compliance with the recently-adopted tax caps and reduce the backlog of tax assessment appeals.
The size of the fund, spent at the discretion of the auditor, has attracted the attention of fellow officials looking to share the wealth.
State Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso, said he is considering introducing legislation that would cap at $100,000 or so the amount of money that county auditors across the state can collect in these funds.
Any excess money would be directed to a county's general fund to be shared by other departments, he said.
These auditor funds were established to provide funding for and incentive to crack down on taxpayers improperly receiving a homestead deduction, Soliday said. The deduction is limited to a taxpayer's primary residence.
It was never the intention to allow millions of dollars to build up in these funds, he said.
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