The Chesterton/Duneland Chamber of Commerce has reaffirmed its support for the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority, and has called on the Porter County Council to re-join the agency.

The chamber on Wednesday presented a resolution to RDA Chair Leigh Morris, who was the guest speaker at the chamber’s luncheon held at the Westchester Public Library Service Center.

The chamber said its resolution reaffirms a resolution it passed in 2005, when it urged the Porter County Council to enact a second county income tax in order to fund Porter County’s $3.5 million annual dues in the RDA.

A chamber press release said the underlying message from Morris in his presentation was that economic development does not come town by town or county by county, and that prospective new businesses look at an area and its amenities and have a hard time seeing county lines when they search for development sites.

The chamber’s resolution notes that the chamber has consistently supported regional transportation efforts, including the expansion of the Gary Chicago Airport, infrastructure improvements, and the extension of the South Shore passenger service. The resolution also says that the investments made by the RDA in Porter County exceed the amount of income tax paid by the county to be in the RDA, and that the areas served by the chamber have benefited “both directly and indirectly” through the investments made by the RDA.

The resolution reaffirms the chamber’s support for the RDA, says it will continue to support a regional approach to transportation and development efforts, and urges the county council to continue to fund the county’s participation in the RDA.

The council voted 4-3 last month to withdraw its partnership with Lake County in the RDA.