Towing firms crowd in to win Lake County business
NWI Times
Mar 15, 2017
CROWN POINT — Some 23 towing truck operators converged on the Lake County Government Center on Wednesday in hopes of hauling away lucrative work contracts.
The Lake County Board of Commissioners received their applications and now are reviewing which are the most qualified for government concessions to be rewarded this spring. The winner will work with county police to remove vehicles from public streets and highways.
County government's reputation for integrity was totaled late last year when a federal grand jury indicted Sheriff John Buncich on bribery and fraud charges alleging he gave towing firms work based on how much they paid him personally.
Buncich is pleading not guilty and awaiting trial.
Two towing businesses that aren't in the running for new county contracts are CSA Towing of Lake Station or Samson Towing of Merrillville.
William Szarmach, CSA's owner, is awaiting trial on allegations he paid Buncich bribes. He is pleading not guilty.
Scott Jurgensen, Samson’s Towing's owner, has been identified as a cooperative federal witness who paid the sheriff for towing work. Jurgensen isn't charged with any wrongdoing.
Commissioner President Mike Repay, D-Hammond, said Wednesday that no firms that did business under Buncich were excluded from bidding on future work.
Repay said at least five of the 23 applicants were previously selected by the sheriff and currently do towing for county police under the old rules until the commissioners make their final choices.
The written standards, established before invitations went out, do require applicants to be "reputable."
The Lake County Council voted in January to reform the county's towing business by taking authority to award contracts away from the sheriff and giving it to the commissioners.
Commissioners said last month they would model their towing vendor qualifications on those used by the Indiana State Police.
The firms responding to this invitation include those headquartered in Cedar Lake, Crown Point, East Chicago, Gary, Griffith, Hammond, Hobart, Lake Station, Merrillville, Schererville and Whiting.
Repay said the county will create a new map of districts where an undetermined number of winning firms will operate.
There are currently nine districts that were drawn up by the sheriff.
Repay said commissioners will draw new district boundaries to ensure the towing work is apportioned equally to avoid creating districts that generate more profits for some vendors.
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