From the Northwest Indiana Times:
Friday's passage of a Lake County income tax relieved supporters, disgusted opponents, and amazed everyone following the impassioned debate.
A tax protester shouted, "McDermott's puppet!" at Commissioner Mike Repay, D-Hammond, after Repay allowed five motions to veto the tax by Commissioner Gerry Scheub, D-Crown Point, die by refusing to support them.
Repay said he made up his mind for the tax only minutes before the commissioners meeting — about the time he was listening to WJOB radio, and Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. was predicting on air that Repay would veto the tax.
However, McDermott said he was caught off-guard when, he said, "I was being texted that Repay isn't seconding any motions. I couldn't believed it was happening."
Lake County Council President Ted Bilski, D-Hobart, who had navigated the tax through the fiscal body, had been expecting a veto, too.
"I had no idea until I got the news this morning," Bilski said. "Yesterday, I was thinking, I am going to have to cut everything I love that government provides.
"Right now, there are a lot of angry people who feel they are being taxed to provide pay raises and to promote nepotism and political favoritism.
"But I'm breathing a sigh of relief. I finally feel confident we are taking care of what we need to do, to maintain public safety, infrastructure and a balanced county budget. It's a positive thing, but it may take a while for folks to realize that," Bilski said.
...
Lake County Councilman Eldon Strong, R-Crown Point, who voted against the tax, said, "It was a surprise. But it still won't change the avenue I'm going to take as far as promoting tighter, reduced spending. We still have to get ourselves into a position where we don't have to come back again in five years and revisit this."
See the full article here:
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/hammond/the-tax-that-took-lake-by-surprise/article_ba70b596-46c7-5ccf-8ed7-04657b1a0ef7.html
