LA PORTE — County Council members will take public comment Wednesday night on a proposed new Emergency Medical Services local income tax and next year’s county budgets.
The special meeting and public hearing start at 5:30 p.m. Central time Wednesday, Oct. 14, in the Assembly Room of the LaPorte County Government Complex, 809 State Street. A county meeting-change notice moved the session to that date after an earlier 5:30 p.m. slot was canceled.
On the agenda is Ordinance #2026-09, which would modify local income tax rates by adding a 0.20% Emergency Medical Services LIT under Indiana Code § 6-3.6-6. The same hearing covers the proposed 2027 LaPorte County government budget and the 2027 LaPorte County Solid Waste Management budget.
Key facts
| Item | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Hearing | Wed., Oct. 14, 5:30 p.m. CT, Assembly Room, 809 State St. | Auditor notice; MeetingChangeNotice |
| Measure | Ordinance #2026-09 — proposed 0.20% EMS LIT | Ordinance PDF; public notice |
| Budgets | 2027 county government + Solid Waste | Public notice |
| Second reading | Mon., Oct. 26, 6 p.m., Meeting Room 3, same complex | Public notice |
| Objections | 10+ taxpayers may petition within 7 days after Oct. 14 | Public notice |
What the ordinance would change
The public notice and ordinance text list five local income tax allocation categories. Only the EMS line moves.
| Allocation | Existing | Proposed |
|---|---|---|
| CAGIT residents | 0.50% | 0.50% |
| CAGIT non-residents | 0.25% | 0.25% |
| CEDIT | 0.45% | 0.45% |
| Public Safety LIT | 0.50% | 0.50% |
| Emergency Medical Services LIT | 0.00% | 0.20% |
After the Oct. 14 hearing, the Council may act on the proposed ordinance. The published notice says the hearing is the taxpayers’ chance to speak on it — no remonstrance path on that ordinance action. A second reading is set for the regular Council meeting Monday, Oct. 26, at 6 p.m. in Meeting Room 3 at the same complex.
The ordinance PDF on the county website is the proposal text for that sequence. It is not a final adoption record for Wednesday’s hearing.
Budgets, objections and auditor context
Complete 2027 budget estimates by fund and department are posted at www.gateway.ifionline.org and www.budgetnotices.in.gov, the notice says. Paper copies for the county budget are at 555 Michigan Avenue, Suite 205, La Porte; Solid Waste details at 2857 W. State Road 2, La Porte.
Any 10 or more taxpayers may object to a budget, tax rate or tax levy by filing a petition with county officers within seven days after the Oct. 14 hearing. The petition must identify the disputed provisions; if one is filed, the county must adopt a finding with the budget.
Auditor Mike Rosenbaum, CPA, signed the public notice. At an Oct. 8 board session summarized by Citizen Portal, he said the LIT modification would help recover lost property-tax revenue and free general-fund money for major repairs. He also flagged a tax sale of more than 300 properties for Tuesday, Oct. 13, at the fairgrounds — separate from Wednesday’s hearing.
What’s next
Region N3 will update after the Oct. 14 hearing and again after the Oct. 26 second reading and budget adoption meeting.
Photo credit
¹ LaPorte County Courthouse (lead photo) — photo by MrHarman, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 3.0. Resized for web; this copy is shared under the same license.
² East view of the LaPorte County Courthouse — photo by Chris Light, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized for web; this copy is shared under the same license.
_5-24-14_099.jpg){kind=link}
³ La Porte City Hall — photo by Kevin Dooley, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0. Resized for web; this copy is shared under the same license.
.jpg){kind=link}