Senate Bill 585 has many valuable provisions for Lake County and Northwest Indiana. It must become law.
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And yes, SB 585 would force Lake County to adopt an income tax. This isn't a popular choice among taxpayers, nor among local officials, but the time to adopt the tax has come.
Lake County government is smaller than it once was, with some 300 jobs jettisoned because of the property tax caps, the frozen property tax levy and the low property tax collection rate.
While that's good news, the county is this year in the unsustainable position of borrowing $15 million just to stay afloat. And that doesn't take into account additional needs on the horizon, including properly staffing the Lake County Jail to meet federal requirements and providing bus service to connected stranded residents to jobs, medical care and shopping.
In setting the tax rate, it is vital that the income tax rate be appropriate to what Lake County truly needs.
It is also important to make sure everyone understands this legislation is about helping the entire region, not just Lake County.
SB 585, now before the House Committee on Ways and Means, must become law.
