Its not unusual for local officials to express a sense of helpless frustration at Porter County’s much-delayed property tax bills, but the issue even came up at Saturday’s legislative town meeting.

Noting that the school system has spent about $500,000 a year in interest costs due to Porter County’s late tax bills, Duneland School Board member Janice Custer asked local state legislators what the state can do to make sure that counties get their tax bills out on time. 

State Rep. Chuck Moseley, D-Portage, responded: Don’t give counties more duties by eliminating townships.

He reasoned that if counties are already having trouble getting out their tax bills on time, they would be further burdened if they would have to take over the duties of townships, such as poor relief, fire contracts in the unincorporated areas, and park and cemetery maintenance.

H.B. 1406 and S.B. 512 are two of the pending bills that would eliminate township government, transferring their duties to the county level.

Posted 2/16/2009