(La Porte County, IN) - The La Porte County Republican Party Chairman is calling for an apology from an elected official for behavior during a public meeting last week.

 

Allen Stevens said La Porte County Commissioner Steve Holifield ran for election last year on a platform that included restoring civility to county government.

 

However, Stevens said Holifield was anything but civil in a brief verbal exchange with La Porte County Councilman Justin Kiel.

 

Kiel was questioning Holifield over a no bid contract awarded by the commissioners to an alleged “preferential vendor” to fix a sewage leak in a county government office building when Holifield stood up from his seat in the audience.

 

“Why don't you come and shovel the g**damn sewage out of the building the next time we have an issue like this, boy.  How does that sound to you,” he said.

 

In response, Kiel, who is in his late 20’s, quickly fired back.

 

“That seems not very professional,” he said.

 

Stevens said Holifield should apologize to Kiel for his behavior that occurred in front of an executive from a company investing $70 million in a food waste to methane gas conversion plant at Kingsbury Industrial Park.

 

"Commissioner Holifield needs to reflect on his platform to the voters of La Porte county of returning civility to County Government.  Outbursts like this in front of executives investing 70 million in our county undermine our economic development efforts," he said.

 

Holifield said there was no time to put the job out for bid due to the need to stop sewage from leaking into the building as quickly as possible and to keep the building open for county business.

 

Holifield and Kiel are republicans but on opposite ends of a party divide.