(LaPorte, IN) - A LaPorte County man tired of living near an eyesore is calling for action.

James Donnelly wants a countywide code enforcement ordinance.

He says a measure proposed a few years ago to crack down on unsitely properties

countywide was pulled when a lot of residents began screaming.

At Wednesday’s LaPorte County Commissioners meeting, he called for a referendum to decide the

matter to avoid the potential for another public outcry.

Donnelly, who lives on 525 West north of LaPorte, said he approached a new neighbor who

refused to clean up what he described as a junk yard.

Donnelly also pointed to the aggressive stance on code enforcement being taken in LaPorte

under the city’s new mayor, Tom Dermody, as an example for the county to follow.

County attorney Shaw Friedman said there is no provision in state law allowing for a

referendum, though, for such a matter.

He also said there are already existing laws locally to enforce the codes.