Lake County trustees and advisory board members for eight suburban and rural townships will share public safety income tax revenue.
Lake County Councilman Eldon Strong, R-Crown Point, said the officials met last weekend to approve an agreement with county government for a share of more than $22 million in local income taxes the county started collecting last fall.
Strong said the county will distribute $313,136 to Cedar Creek, Center, Eagle Creek, Hanover, Hobart, St. John, West Creek and Winfield townships to support firefighting and emergency medical services the eight provide to residents living outside the county's 19 cities and towns.
Strong said Calumet, North and Ross townships are not a part of the agreement because North and Calumet are primarily covered by municipal fire and emergency medical services, and Ross has access to additional property taxes through the Merrillville Fire Protection Territory.
The county council passed a 1.5 percent tax last spring on the personal income of all county residents and workers, but the state only distributed that money to cities and towns. Township officials asked late last year for a share of that money to support their public safety services.
