From the Northwest Indiana Times:
Lake County Councilwoman Christine Cid, D-East Chicago, said Tuesday she won't rescue the county income tax if it's vetoed later this week.
The council passed a 1.5 percent personal income tax on all county residents and out-of-state residents working in Lake by a 4-3 margin Monday afternoon.
It now advances to the Board of Commissioners, which meets 8:30 a.m. Friday. If two of the three commissioners -- Gerry Scheub, D-Crown Point, and Mike Repay, D-Hammond -- follow through with promises to veto the tax package, it would return to the council as early as Tuesday where it either dies or finds find five council members in support.
Cid, one of three no votes against the income tax, said don't expect her to join any supermajority for the tax.
"It's not good for my constituents. I'm not changing unless they all come to me and tell me they want to pay an additional tax and not get any (property) tax relief," Cid said of the tax. "But, I don't see that happening. I just can't vote for that."
Councilman Eldon Strong, R-Crown Point, said he and Councilman Dan Dernulc, R-Highland, aren't changing their opposition to the income tax, either.
Strong said he hopes killing the income tax will force county officials to call in an outside agency to audit county government to search for significant reductions in a county budget that required a $15 million loan this year alone, just to stay in the black.
Commissioner Mike Repay, D-Hammond, said he is amused by a rumor that he would allow the tax to pass by being unavailable for a veto vote. Repay said he is vacationing out of the country next week, but will be present for Friday's veto session and plans to vote against the tax.
"I hope we can dispose of the matter without all the theatrics we've had," Repay said.
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See the full article here:
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/lake-income-tax-unlikely-to-survive-expected-veto/article_deeb2cda-fcb0-5f7e-82b9-3f51b0db3f97.html
