Auditor

Show Support for Veterans with Operation Green Light

Operation Green Light is a national initiative called to show support for our nation's veterans and the services available to veterans at the local, state and federal levels of government.

 During the week of Nov. 7-13, Porter County government buildings and individual offices are illuminated with green lights as a show of support for veterans. The Porter County Auditor's Office and the Memorial Opera House teamed up to produce a promotional poster about the county's participation in Operation Green Light. We also prepared a flier listing some of the services that county government provides to veterans. The flier is available at our office and by clicking here: Porter County Programs for Veterans. Our county's participation was featured in local news releases, including an article in Valpo.Life: Porter County to join Operation Green Lite in Support of Local Veterans. 

Please join us in showing your support for veterans by shining a green light at your home or business now through Nov. 13.

Top to bottom: The Porter County Administration Building in green lights; displaying the Operation Green Light poster are Andrew Brent, marketing consultant for the Memorial Opera House Foundation; Porter County Auditor Vicki Urbanik; and MOH Executive Director Scot MacDonald; Auditor Office real estate tax deputies who assist veterans with the disabled veterans deductions.

Porter County 2023 Budgets Adopted

The Porter County Council has adopted the county government's 2023 budgets, including the implementation of a new wage study for county government employees. 

As we have done in prior years, our office has prepared an easy-to-read document with the 2023 and 2022 budget totals. Click on the "Budget & Finance" tab to view the report.

Some budgetary highlights:

• The county's main operating fund, the General Fund, was adopted at $45,171,113, a $1.45 million increase over this year's budget. While this increase represents the largest dollar increase to the General Fund in recent years, it was within the budget objective set out at the start of the budget hearings.
• Priority was given to the implementation of a new wage study aimed at bringing all county employees to an established benchmark, including bringing the lowest-paid employees up to a "parity level" with others.
• As proposed, each employee will receive an increase of at least $4,000 in 2023, either in the form of raises, a one-time supplemental pay, or a combination of both.
• The average pay increase in 2023 among the county workforce will be 7%. Some employees will see increases of up to 20%.
• Priority was given to positions in public safety, with special wage adjustments granted to 1st class patrol officers, corporals, sergeants, and first-class E-911 telecommuters.
• Among the new positions approved were three full-time employees in the Storm Water and Development department and a new part-time position in the Veterans Services Office and Weights and Measures.

Adjusted tax bills issued for Pine Township tax districts

Adjusted property tax bills for taxpayers in Pine Township in Porter County. The affected property owners are those in the Michigan City School district, specifically, Beverly Shores, the Town of Pines, and a portion of unincorporated Pine Township.

The error involved the calculation of the supplemental homestead deduction. Tax rates throughout LaPorte County had to be re-calculated, including those for the Michigan City Schools. 

The change to the school's tax rate was an increase of 0.006 cents. The difference in tax bills will be applied to the fall installment.

For more information about the revised tax bills, our office has prepared a handout, which is available at our office and by clicking here: A Message to Pine Township Taxpayers.

The chart below shows the approved 2022 tax rates including the changes to the three Pine Township districts, as shown in the Porter County budget order. To  view the budget order online, click here: Porter County amended 2022 budget order