Lake County Commissioners have voted to provide eight suburban and rural fire and emergency medical service providers a share of the county's public safety income tax revenue.
Commissioners Roosevelt Allen, D-Gary, Mike Repay, D-Hammond, and Gerald Scheub, D-Crown Point, agreed to distribute $313,136 to Cedar Creek, Center, Eagle Creek, Hanover, Hobart, St. John, West Creek and Winfield township trustees.
The money will help provide public safety services to the more than 36,000 residents living outside the county's 19 cities and towns.
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 money comes from a 1.5 percent tax last spring on the personal income of all county residents and workers. The state law authorizing the tax only permits distribution of its revenues to cities and towns. It raises more than $8.5 million that must be earmarked for public safety use.
Township officials who are responsible for fire and emergency medical services outside town and city limits asked the county late last year for a share of that money in proportion to their residents' population.
The County Council approved the money last week.
