(La Porte County, IN) - The La Porte Economic Advancement Partnership combined with the Michigan City Chamber of Commerce, held a Third House Session for one of its largest audiences to date.
Featuring a panel of locally elected state, county and city officials, the event welcomed more than 120 attendees to Purdue University Northwest’s Great Hall Event & Conference Center for an update on important issues facing our community and state.
LEAP President of Business Services Mike Riehle said, “Our intent for this event is to not only shine a light on legislation that is being pushed forward down state, but also to highlight some of our local city and county initiatives.
Riehle said the panel discussion gives people in attendance an opportunity to talk directly with local and state leaders on the issues that matter most to them, their families and their businesses.
“This year’s turnout is a testament to the value our community places on staying informed, and we are happy to provide an outlet for this,” he said.
Michigan City Chamber of Commerce President Kurt Gillins said the session is a great chance for local and state legislators to come together and discuss the issues that matter most to “our business community.”
“Having an open dialogue like this helps our businesses have a voice. We are pleased to co-host this event with our partners at LEAP, strengthening our collective efforts to support economic growth and prosperity in La Porte County,” he said.
This year’s panel featured State Senator Mike Bohacek, State Senator Rodney Pol, State Representative Jim Pressel, State Representative Pat Boy, County Commissioner Connie Gramarossa, Michigan City Mayor Angie Nelson Deuitch and La Porte Mayor Tom Dermody.
While topics ranged from legislation moving through the Statehouse to updates on local services like road funding, a common theme for the morning was Senate Bill 1 and property taxes.
Governor Mike Braun has made reducing skyrocketing property taxes a major priority for the current legislative session.
"My big concern this year is going to be property taxes. I don’t know how we police, pave and plow the roads without the funds that we’re looking at. We’re talking about millions and millions of dollars lost in the counties. That to me is a huge concern,” Pol said.
“I know that while things will improve for our residents who are homeowners, it will make it difficult for local government. You can’t have the layers of government that we have if you’re going to eliminate property taxes,” Dermody said.
Dermody also said feedback from constituents was a key component of the session in helping state and local governments work to the best of their ability.
