Auditor

Porter County 2022 Budget Order Approved

The Indiana Department of Local Government Finance has released the 2022 budget order for all taxing units in Porter County. This document contains the approved tax rates, property tax levies, budget totals, and certified net assessed values for all taxing units in the county. Our office will use the rates established in the budget order when we calculate the payable-2022 tax bills. To view the budget order online, click here: Porter County 2022 budget order

The table below shows the approved tax rates in each Porter County taxing district in 2022, with a comparison to 2021. In all but two of Porter County's taxing districts, tax rates are lower than last year.  

County Government 2022 budget highlights

Here are some highlights of the final budgets as adopted by the Porter County Council:

•  Three new jailer positions were approved for security at the county's newest facility at 157 Franklin St., Valparaiso.
•  The Council endorsed the proposal to provide premium pay from the county's American Rescue Plan Act revenues of up to $4,000 per eligible employee in 2022.
• The Council endorsed providing one-time stipends of $3,000 for full-time county employees not eligible for premium pay.
• The Council approved special raise requests for selected employees in the following departments: Prosecutor, Prosecutor Child Support, Coroner, IT, Clerk, Jail, Storm Water and Development, Health, Recycling and Waste Reduction District. The Council also approved rate and per diem requests for several departments.

Certified Net Assessed Values

The Porter County Auditor's Office annually certifies the net assessed values that will be used in establishing the 2022 property tax rates. These values reflect the assessed values for all property types, adjusted for tax abatements, TIFs, deductions and other factors.

For the second year in a row, the county's overall taxable values will increase by more than 6%, from $10.5 billion to $11.2 billion. Generally speaking, higher net AVs can help stabilize property tax rates. Some highlights about the certified values:

• Of the various property types, owner-occupied homes increased the most, from $5.8 billion to $6.38 billion, a nearly 10% increase.
• Personal property values grew an overall 2%, to $1.52 billion.
• Real and personal property in Tax Increment Financing districts increased from $886 million to $889 million.
• While nearly all of Porter County's taxing districts saw net AV growth, five taxing districts increased by more than 10%. These were: Pine Township-Duneland Schools, Pine Township-Michigan City Schools, Morgan Township, Jackson Township, and Chesterton-Liberty Township.

Details about Porter County's 2022 certified values are available online at gateway.ifionline.org Click on "Search for Reports," then "Assessed Values."

Income Tax revenue for 2022 certified

The table below shows the local income tax (LIT) revenues that our office distributes monthly to the county, cities and towns. The revenue comes from payroll withholdings from those who work in the county.

Overall, Porter County's 2022 local income tax revenues are 2.4% lower than in 2021. Per state statute, half of the total is reserved for a credit on homeowner tax bills and for the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority. The other half is distributed to the county and municipalities. 

Did you know? Porter County's LIT rate of 0.5% (.005) is the lowest in Indiana. Only one other county currently has this same rate. The following breakdown shows the distribution to the county and municipalities in 2021 and 2022.