The concept of creating a regional transportation district will face a long road well after November’s referendum in Porter County.

Only Porter and St. Joseph counties, two out of the four regional counties that state law prescribes to hold the vote, are prepare to do so.

The special election will cost Porter County $121,000. In St. Joseph, officials estimate $30,000.

Officials from Lake and LaPorte counties both rejected funding the voter registration offices and election boards. Instead, the counties hope to have the question next year when elections are already slated. That saves the counties more than $414,000.

The state law, which was inserted in the budget bill before it passed in the 11th hour of the session, requires each of the four counties to fund the special election on Nov. 3.

“(The law) is straightforward that this is a requirement that’s in the budget bill and the provision is just as binding as all the other parts of the law,” said Jim Gavin, a spokesman for the Indiana Secretary of State Office.

But the law doesn’t specify penalties.

Residents, officials and even some lawmakers have wondered whether the public question holds any real practical significance or potential legal consequences.

“It probably means very little with only two out of the four participating,” said state Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso.

If the two counties put the question on May’s ballot, “I don’t even know what it would mean,” Soliday said.

Although he wasn’t involved in pushing what he calls the “convoluted referendum item in the budget bill,” it’s a measure to lay the groundwork for the future of mass transportation in the region.

“It’s about creating an efficient management system,” he said. “We are growing rapidly and if we don’t start dealing with this we’ll instantly start having a crisis.”

The law needs “adjustments,” Soliday said. “And we’re prepared to do that.”

The regional district, which will have taxing authority, is formed when at least two counties approve. It fails if two vote against it.

Porter and St. Joseph counties decided to foot the expenses, albeit reluctantly.

If the referendum passes, state lawmakers will have “some heavy lifting to do” to amend and clarify vague provisions, Soliday said.

And if it fails, he worries “mass transportation of Northwest Indiana will be pushing at the end of the rope.”

The referendum asks Porter County voters if they favor the creation of the Northern Indiana Regional Transportation District “to provide a regional rail system serving Lake, Porter, LaPorte and St. Joseph counties and a regional bus public transportation system serving Lake and Porter counties with Porter County becoming a member district.”

Kathy Kozuszek, Porter County Voter Registration co-director, said some residents have called confused about the ballot question. Some mixed up the referendum’s Regional Transportation District for the Regional Development Authority, a body that already exists. One person thought the referendum asks only about bus and rail transportation for Porter County, Kozuszek said.

“I just refer them back to the question,” she said.

Meanwhile, some Porter County taxpayers wonder what their vote is worth if the other two counties might be given the opportunity to hold the elections next May, spared the additional election costs.

“Why is their vote stronger than ours?” said Faith Jones of Valparaiso. “What makes them more important? We’re all equal. It’s discriminatory.”

Bonnie Kuzminski, who’s lived in Porter County for 30 years, is dismayed with how the referendum mandate has played out and criticized state leaders for “treating us like kids.”

“Treat the citizens like adults and respect us,” she said. “Respect our intelligence.”

Jones, who doesn’t favor the new regional district, plans to go to the polls.

“We might as well,” she said. “We’ve spent a hundred thousand dollars on it.”

And what if the state Legislature decides to create the four-county transportation district next session, regardless of the voting outcome?

“People’s vote don’t count in the first place? Is this a trick?” Jones said.

Soliday said it’s “highly unlikely” that such a proposal would come up from either party next session.

“It’s an election year,” he said.

Post-Tribune
10/18/2009
By: Jane Huh