08292014 - News Article - Lake Station taps casino money to help pay bills

Lake Station taps casino money to help pay bills

Post-Tribune (IN) 

August 29, 2014 

LAKE STATION — The City Council approved a request from Mayor Keith Soderquist last week to pour $420,000 of casino revenue into the flagging general fund, but at least one councilman cried foul. 

Councilman Don Huddleston, 2nd District, said the mayor sprang the decision on the council without advanced discussion. He also said the city should have been using the money to fix roads and sewage problems all along. 

“I have roads in my district that need to be paved,” Huddleston said. “How did our budget get so bad in the red? We’ve got sewage running out into people’s yards every time it rains. That money should never have been accumulated in the first place.” 

The city gets about $125,000 a year in casino tax revenues, about a third of what it used to get, and keeps it in a fund for road and infrastructure improvements, Soderquist said. The city spent only some of the fund over the past five years, accumulating the money the council moved into the general fund, which is often in the red here. 

Like all taxing districts, Lake Station has had to adjust to far less revenue due to permanent property tax caps added as an amendment to the state constitution in 2010. 

At $4.2 million, the general fund, including $2.3 million for public safety, had to be shored up, and cutting money from the police and fire departments to save money was not an option, Soderquist said. 

“When you tally all of the funds, you have the total amount in (the city’s) checkbook,” he said. “If the money’s not there, overall, to spend, we don’t spend it. We definitely have paved the streets and worked on the infrastructure, but not all of it. (The casino fund has) accumulated extra funds.” 

The mayor also said the city will spend about $230,000 on street improvements this year. 

Soderquist ’s request passed 5-2. The majority of council members generally side with the mayor’s requests, while two members, Huddleston and Harry Pedroza Jr. , 4th District, are often in the minority on key votes. 

Soderquist frequently has said he inherited massive budget deficits from former Mayor Shirley Wadding. He was a councilman-at-large for eight years before becoming mayor in 2007. 

Huddleston dismissed Soderquist ’s claims. 

“( Soderquist ’s) always blaming the old administration, but he was part of that administration for eight years. How can he keep blaming the old administration?” he said. “Then, all of a sudden, out of the blue, it’s on the council’s agenda. All of a sudden it’s the whole (accumulated amount), he’s got to have the whole apple.” 

08182014 - News Article - What's the Matter With Portage?

What's the Matter With Portage?
Indiana Federation of Democratic Women
Posted by Alison Zuidervliet
August 18, 2014
http://www.ifdw.org/what_s_the_matter_with_portage

Though I currently live in Indianapolis, I am proud to call Portage, Indiana my hometown. If you don’t know where Portage is, it is in the Region, northwest Indiana. It is the largest city in Porter County and sits on Lake Michigan between Chesterton and Gary. It is a city of hardworking people with steel mills and other blue-collar jobs dominating the landscape. Up until 2011, it had a successful string of great Democratic mayors.

In 2011, the people of Portage elected a young Republican, James Snyder, to be Mayor. It was a U-turn for the city. Snyder pursued familiar Republican policies and politics, including privatizing services, fighting with unions, and slowing the city’s progress. All the while,Snyder was mismanaging his campaign funds and the city’s tax dollars. He did this so blatantly that he is currently being investigated by the FBI. Their agents are making weekly trips to the county courthouse to pull documents and strengthen their case against Snyder.

Snyder, for his part, seems to not even realize he’s done anything wrong as the case against him grows stronger every day. This is a symptom of the disease that is the Indiana Republican Party.

Since the Republicans have come to their current position of overwhelming power in Indiana, they have systematically lined their own pockets and those of their buddies. The lineup of GOP criminals includes corrupt politicians like Tony Bennett who changes grades for cash, Rep. Eric Turner who stands to make over $900 million after asserting his power and lobbying against bills that would hurt his business deals, and Mitch Daniels who used his own Governor-appointed Purdue Trustees to make him president of the university.

The Indiana Republican Party is acting like it is straight out of a mafia movie. They are an organized crime syndicate, systematically stealing our money and hurting our state while they get richer and become more and more destructive. We should just call them what they really are: the Indiana Republican Mafia.

I need you to help the Indiana Federation of Democratic Women stand up to this corruption and call it out when you see it.

Have you seen an instance of political corruption in your community? Do you know of an official that has violated the public trust without consequence?

Please email me at ali@ifdw.org and let me know about what you see going on in your county. Enough is enough.

Onward to November!

08132014 - News Article - Valpo Promenade project getting FBI scrutiny, auditor says

Valpo Promenade project getting FBI scrutiny, auditor says

Chesterton Tribune
August 13, 2014
http://chestertontribune.com/PoliceFireEmergency/valpo_promenade_project_getting.htm

Porter County Auditor Robert Wichlinski told the Chesterton Tribune this morning that FBI agents have been regularly coming to his office to collect copies of various contracts, payroll information, sales disclosures and other documents since their investigation into local governments began a little less than a year ago. 

“They let me know when they want to see something. I just give them what they ask for and don’t ask questions and they don’t tell me anything,” said Wichlinski.

Their most recent visit to the Auditor’s office, late Monday morning according to Wichlinski, was to obtain information related to the Promenade development, located between Lincolnway and LaPorte Ave. to the north of Valparaiso University. 

Specifically, the FBI obtained two sales disclosures on the six parcels that make up the promenade and various aerial images of the property generated by the County’s GIS System. 

According to Wichlinski, the Valparaiso Redevelopment Commission is listed as the seller on sales disclosures and a private developer as the buyer. 

The project has been under development since 2010.

Wichlinski said the FBI also asked for a “handful” of other “stuff” Monday, but would only confirm the documents related to promenade as what the FBI sought. 

The Auditor’s Office holds copies of tax information from the assessor and recorder’s office, deeds and records for sales transactions across the county, which Wichlinski said is why the FBI frequently consults his office. All the information at the auditor’s office is public record, said Wichlinski, adding that the FBI has not accused him of any wrongdoing.

He said agents make requests for documents “typically every other week” from his office.

Wichlinski in April reported that the FBI asked him for copies of 2013 payroll records of the Expo Center.

The FBI has reportedly visited other offices within the Porter County Administration Building. Last month, agents stopped in at the Voters Registration Office to collect campaign finance reports for Portage Mayor James Snyder. 

In March, agents collected copies of building permits for Porter Regional Hospital, and its adjoining medical center, from the Porter County Plan Commission. They also downloaded records from the Plan Commission office from the County’s computer server in the IT office.

In addition, the bureau has sought documents related to the December 2012 contract between the County Commissioners and Porter Hospital for clinical services in the County’s Employee Health Plan, conflict of interest disclosure statements filed in the County Clerk’s office from 2007 to 2013, and project bid proposals related to 2010 and 2011 contracts with the County Highway Department.

08132014 - News Article - Valpo commission vows to cooperate with FBI

Valpo commission vows to cooperate with FBI

NWI Times
August 13, 2014

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/valpo-commission-vows-to-cooperate-with-fbi/article_f4ab50b5-f86e-56a4-9028-7c55d288e948.html

VALPARAISO | The city's Redevelopment Commission issued a statement Wednesday promising full cooperation with the FBI investigation of the University Promenade project.

On Tuesday, the FBI got aerial images of the project site and sales disclosure information from the Porter County auditor's office on the six parcels along University Drive between Lincolnway and LaPorte Avenue that were part of the sale to developer Al Krygier.

The finished project will provide a north entrance to Valparaiso University and includes two mixed-used buildings with commercial uses on the ground floor and condominiums on the upper two floors. A small park was built at the northwest corner of Lincolnway and University Drive and sold to the city.

In its statement, the commission said, "Redevelopment efforts (including public improvements) commenced on East Lincolnway in 2006 with the East Lincolnway streetscape beautification project. As a result, the area has seen a transformation with the construction of seven 'university style' apartment buildings and a Horizon Bank branch location.

"Other property owners have taken advantage of facade grants (matched by private investment) to enhance the outside appearances of their buildings. As to the University Promenade project, all agreements were publicly approved by the redevelopment commission and executed on Aug. 13, 2010. The closing on the real estate took place on or about Sept. 24, 2010.

"All records as to University Promenade are public and available for inspection. If asked, the redevelopment commission and its staff will fully cooperate with the FBI."

08122014 - News Article - Valpo's Promenade Development targeted by FBI

Valpo's Promenade Development targeted by FBI

NWI Times
August 12, 2014

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/valparaiso/valpo-s-promenade-development-targeted-by-fbi/article_df9ec764-aebf-53ed-89f7-818511c47941.html

VALPARAISO | The University Promenade development in Valparaiso is the latest local target of an FBI investigation.

FBI agents visited the Porter County auditor's office on Monday seeking aerial images of the site and sales disclosure information on the six parcels between Lincolnway and LaPorte Avenue, Auditor Bob Wichlinski said Tuesday.

The auditor's office maintains records of county property descriptions, ownership and tax billing.

The Promenade development, at the north entrance of the Valparaiso University campus, was developed by Al Krygier, who purchased the 2.8-acre site from the city's Redevelopment Commission.

Krygier said Tuesday he knew nothing about the FBI investigation and said he wanted to look into it before commenting.

Calls placed Tuesday to the Valparaiso Redevelopment Commission and other Valparaiso city officials were not returned.

The University Promenade development has a mixed use of retail, commercial and condominiums.

The development is the latest target in what has been a growing investigation by the FBI into local government.

Federal agents have recently been digging into Portage Mayor James Snyder's use of campaign funds to reimburse the city for plane tickets and other expenses related to a city economic development trip to Europe.

Snyder said the city was reimbursed in the time allowed for the trip, which was used to promote Portage and visit the Austria headquarters of a company operating in Portage.

FBI agents have also pulled payroll records over the past year for the Porter County Expo Center and have visited numerous other county departments including information technologies, plan commission, highway, clerk of the courts and the county's insurance servicing agent.

08012014 - News Article - FBI Widens probe into Portage Mayor

FBI Widens probe into Portage Mayor
HPI Daily Wire
Howey Politics Daily Wire
August 01, 2014
http://howeypolitics.com/Content/HPI-Daily-Wire/HPI-Daily-Wire/Article/August-1--2014-HPI-Daily-Wire/12/31/11640

The FBI has widened its investigation into Portage Mayor James Snyder to include plane tickets and travel expenses he funded through the city and/or its utility department from campaign funds (Kasarda, NWI Times).

The federal investigators served members of the Utility Service Board with subpoenas earlier this week seeking documents related to Snyder writing checks to pay back the debt, said department Secretary/Treasurer Sherry Smolar.

Smolar said she was working Thursday to fulfill the request. Snyder said in a written statement the reimbursement was for plane tickets and other expenses related to a city economic development trip to Europe.

"We reimbursed them in the time allotted by the state board of accounts. The PAC and Campaign chose to reimburse the entire trip instead of the normal half as businesses contributed more money than we expected to raise for the express purpose of the trip, so the City incurred no expense for the City trip we took to promote Portage and visit the world headquarters (in Austria) for Portage-based Fronius. We also attended the world Intersolar convention in Munich, Germany as a guest of Fronius, who introduced Portage to a dozen or more potential new Portage businesses," according to the statement.

The request for documents from the utility department comes one week after FBI agents appeared at the Porter County Administration Center seeking copies of campaign records for Snyder.

Sundae Schoon, the Republican director at the Porter County voter registration office, said the FBI agents requested his campaign finance records and records from his political action committee Portage Mayor Elect 2011.

Snyder responded in an email last week that he has done nothing wrong. "I have been advised that government agents have asked to review my campaign-finance records," he said in the email. "These records are now, and have always been, available to the public on the Internet. In fact, to my knowledge, I was the first public official in Porter County to post such records in a public forum. My campaign has done nothing wrong, and we look forward to this matter being wrapped up as expeditiously as possible," the message stated.

Andre Joseph, who is the City Council's appointment to the Utility Service Board, said FBI agents interviewed him at his home last week. He said in a prepared statement Thursday, "The Portage Utility Service Board has profited from the growth and enthusiasm of Mayor Snyder. We would have gladly paid for his share of the trip, but he showed great initiative by raising all of the money himself. I believe in the importance of Mayors from cities like ours taking advantage of the global economy. We need jobs, and this Mayor understands that, and I'm proud to serve with him."