Civic Issues

Election Day operations and administration

The board met on Election Day itself, with the elections office staffed continuously from 6 a.m. throughout the day. The meeting covered administrative housekeeping while voting was underway countywide.

RJ Anderson procurement protest

A contractor says the county wrongly disqualified its low bid ($334,850) on the Hobart Township Assessor's Office project and asked the board to halt ongoing demolition while it investigates. The board took no action during the meeting, and the contractor says it reserves legal remedies.

Hired enforcement consultants for zoning compliance

The county commissioners hired Butler Fairman and Seifert to enforce special-exception and zoning conditions — the stuff that used to slip through the cracks. Residents can now report suspected violations to the commissioner's office and get a real answer.

E911 operations funding

A remonstrator documented that only Hebron and Lowell fire departments were notified, while Eagle Creek Township holds fire service agreements with four departments. A board member, a former firefighter, pressed the applicant to support local fire departments' equipment needs given the cost of contaminated-gear decontamination.

Contractor licensing for unincorporated areas

The board vets every contractor who wants to legally work in unincorporated Lake County — checking bonds, insurance, workers' comp, and license scope. It approved 16 firms this month, which means more crews available for local storm-repair and construction work, but deferred one roofer whose business practices raised legal questions.

Unsafe/dilapidated building demolition process

A resident asked how to get a fallen-in home investigated. The answer: contact the county office so an inspector can start the process — but unincorporated areas miss out on the demolition grant money cities get, making cleanups harder.

Lake Ridge Fire funding dispute

The volunteer fire department says its $250,000 contract isn't enough, and its ambulance spends most of its time covering Gary calls, leaving the town uncovered. Council members floated paying off the district's $469,000 building loan with county funds to free up roughly $112,000 a year.

Jail food and lodging funding

The jail shifted $370,000 from its medical deductible line to food and lodging — a sign of tight budgets feeding the county's incarcerated population.

Election Day polling place changes

Seven precincts in Merrillville, Gary and Griffith are getting new polling places for the general election — some because buildings are unavailable or the state merged precincts. Affected voters get a postcard, so watch your mail.

Public accuracy test of voting machines

Before early voting starts, the county publicly tests its machines — about 60 DRE units and optical-scan cards — checking ballot accuracy, vote-count limits, and the ability to redact a ballot if needed. Machines are sealed immediately after.

ADA accessibility of East Chicago early voting site

A voter with disabilities complained the Carrie Gosch Early Learning Center isn't accessible, after bad experiences last cycle. The county's fixes (front entrance, no students in the building) didn't fully satisfy advocates, who pushed for the public library instead — but the Board kept the school a week before early voting begins.

Workers' compensation enforcement for small contractors

Board members repeatedly warned solo operators that hiring anyone — even a temp for cleanup — triggers Indiana's workers' comp requirement, and that subcontracting under a specialty license is prohibited. One roofing applicant's admission of passing jobs to other firms led to a deferral and attorney review.

Juvenile services funding

Over $270,000 approved for juvenile detention and community corrections — staffing, behavioral health services, and equipment — largely grant-funded.

Township public safety funding after SEA 1

The council passed a resolution guaranteeing townships specified 2027 tax revenue distributions, which trustees say keeps fire, EMS and intersection lighting running after state legislative changes squeezed their budgets.

Flood damage reporting via 211 for federal assistance

Chairman Repay urged residents to log flood damage on the 211 app or the state portal — that data is what unlocks federal disaster help.

Storm damage recovery and FEMA reimbursement

After recent storms, the county approved debris-collection contractors, an emergency declaration, and make-safe repairs at the Fairgrounds — and is pushing residents to report damage via 211 so the county can qualify for state and federal aid. Taxpayers can also file a 137R petition for reassessment of storm-damaged property.

NIPSCO substation built without approvals

County staff confirmed the NIPSCO substation built for the solar project went up without the required special exception, contractor licensing, and site-plan approvals. A resident argued nothing on the solar project should advance until that violation is resolved.

Election office social media and communications plan

The county wants to fight election misinformation with official social media channels, but board members worried one communications staffer would have too much control without enough bipartisan checks. Final approval is deferred, though content can go out now if both the director and assistant director approve.

2026 General Election early voting plan

The board locked in satellite early voting sites and hours for the fall election, starting October 6. The East Chicago site stays on the list after ADA parking and safety concerns from school board members were resolved — students won't be there and voters will use the front doors.

Homeland security grant applications

The sheriff and emergency management are chasing three new federal/state homeland security grants for FY26. Applying costs the county little but brings in federal money for public safety.

Licensing exam integrity

A painting contractor vice president was caught writing down test questions during the county licensing exam, sparking a heated debate about cheating, due process and fitness. The board ultimately granted the license but voted to rewrite its written test instructions to make prohibitions crystal clear.

Front-yard parking code enforcement in Woods Park

A resident reported five to eight cars parked in front yards, dragging down property values, and says code enforcement hasn't acted; the county notes its ordinance may not cover operable cars on private grass.

Jail and juvenile center facility upgrades

The county is pouring money into jail and juvenile detention facilities: video upgrades, kitchen flooring, subgrade drainage, and body camera systems. Bids for the video upgrade project were opened, with Tri-Electronics far under the competing bid.

Health Department reporting practices questioned

A Crown Point resident told the board the county health officer isn't doing statutorily required monthly public reports, and that the officer's renewal was approved before minutes were even posted. She wants the officer's position evaluated when the health board is reconstituted.

Health Department community program funding renewals

The health department showed off results: 19,000 residents reached, 5,000+ immunizations, food access, and fewer repeat 911 calls. Funding sustainability for some programs is an open question as HFI money shifts.

Tornado damage to regulated drains

County disaster declaration

The board unanimously adopted a county disaster declaration, which can unlock emergency resources and procedures.

Poll Worker Training and Election Fairness

Residents say poll workers aren't signing required affidavits and that only two of 17 Highland precincts filled them out correctly. Speakers pushed for more in-person training and clearer communication so workers return each election.

Primary Election Turnout

Only about 60,000 of 367,000 registered voters cast ballots in the May primary — a 16% turnout. Clerk Brown urged the public to trust that votes count and show up in November.

Jail staffing crisis and stalled correctional officer contract talks

Correctional officers and their union say the county hasn't sent anyone with real authority to negotiate their contract, which expired at the end of 2025. They describe being about 70 officers short, working forced 16-hour shifts, and facing dangerous overcrowding — including an attempted stabbing and inmates housed above bed capacity. Commissioners promised to have attorneys research who actually holds bargaining authority.

Provisional ballot adjudication from the May primary

Twenty-two provisional ballots were sorted into count and no-count categories, hinging on IDs, registration records, and poll book errors. For voters, this decided whether their ballots actually got counted — and several common mistakes, like picking the wrong party ballot on the iPad, turned out to be irreversible.

Travel board application deficiencies and nursing home voting

Improperly filled-out travel board applications — mostly from a nursing home — keep bouncing back, and board members warned the same problem could force hard calls in November's general election. The fix: much stricter travel board training on the statutory forms.

Cedar Lake power failure emergency ballots

A power failure in Cedar Lake on Election Day forced poll workers to fall back on emergency paper ballots. The board approved all of them, crediting precinct workers for improvising smoothly.

Health Department reorganization under Health First Indiana

The council reorganized Health Department positions and rebuilt budgets across four funds to meet Health First Indiana KPIs, with councilmembers praising administrator Sheila Paul and Health Officer Dr. Bali Lala.

Sheriff's unpaid 2023-2025 invoices

The sheriff got permission to pay old invoices from 2023-2025 out of the 2026 budget — and Cid wants to see the audit reports behind those debts.