(La Porte, IN) - La Porte mayor Tom Dermody is having doubts the Chicago Bears are sincere in wanting to build a new stadium in Northwest Indiana.

After talks about a new stadium in Hammond, the Bears praising the money they would save on property taxes in Indiana have recently been meeting again with officials in Illinois.

That’s led to speculation the Bears might go to Arlington Heights just west of Chicago where attempts were made earlier to build a new stadium.

Dermody said Indiana should forever cut ties with the Bears if the organization was just using Indiana to gain leverage in their negotiations with Illinois officials.

“If they end up in Arlington Heights, don’t ever come back to Indiana ever in your lifetime.  It seems like now, suddenly, there might be a shift,” he said.

The Bears cited things like lower property taxes and other incentives for announcing their interest in moving forward with a new stadium in Hammond.