Little Cal funding measure passes House, 84-10

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State Rep. Ed Soliday

Updated: March 1, 2012 8:45AM

INDIANAPOLIS – A proposal that establishes funding to maintain the Little Calumet River levee passed the Indiana House, 84-10, on Monday.

The bill authored by state Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso, sets fees per year at $45 for residential parcels and up to $360 for industrial parcels to help fund the maintenance and completion of the project. The bill also expands the board overseeing the levee system from five to nine members.

Supporters of the plan maintained the legislation would protect a state and federal investment. To ease concerns from those who said last year’s legislation restricted local control of the board, Soliday set up a system to allow the governor to appoint members from a pool of local nominees.

All members present of the Northwest Indiana delegation voted for the bill.

Soliday told House members after last year’s legislation died, only one municipality agreed to the creation of a conservancy district.

“We need to move this on,” Soliday said, “move it into local control and solve the Little Cal issue.”

Still, the bill had its opponents during a nearly hour-long debate before the House.

State Rep. Kreg Battles, D-Vincennes, voted against the bill because he feels the board should vote whether to establish fees rather than writing them into legislation.

“I don’t care that Lake County upgrades the Little Cal. Frankly, that’s probably a responsible thing to do. What I do have a problem with is we as legislators are making a tough decision for them…,” Battles said. “You are voting for a tax increase. You are voting for a local tax increase.”

State Rep. Chet Dobis, D-Merrillville, said the bill protects state investment dollars. Under the bill, property owners within the Lake County portion of the watershed would pay the fees. Dobis said he doesn’t live near the river but is still a victim.

“We want to protect this investment, and it is as Rep. Battles said. Make no mistake; it is a tax increase,” Dobis said. “I’m here to tell you I’m voting for a tax increase. The people I represent want this tax increase in lieu of the flood insurance they’d have to pay.”

The bill passed out of a House committee without any opposition, said state Rep. Sean Eberhart, R-Shelbyville, who chairs the House Natural Resources Committee.

“This is something Rep. Soliday and a lot of others have worked very hard on to come up with a solution that all parties agree with… this has federal and state monies at stake,” Eberhart said. “This is a local fee not a local tax. And locals have been involved with this solution from the beginning.”