Judge: County Stuck in RDA

A circuit court judge in northwest Indiana ruled this week that Porter County could not withdraw from a local regional development authority.

The Jasper County Court ruled Monday in favor of the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority by saying the Porter County Council cannot legally uphold its decision to leave the RDA. The council last year voted 4 to 3 to withdraw from the authority. The decision means Porter must continue to make $3.5 million in annual payments to the RDA.

Judge John Potter said that the state legislation enacting the RDA required Porter — as well as Lake County and the municipalities of Gary, East Chicago, and Hammond — to join as permanent members.

“There was no implied or clear right to withdraw,” Potter said. “The only option Porter County had was whether or not to utilize the option of a [county economic development income tax] increase to fund their financial requirements to the RDA.”

It is uncertain whether the Porter County Council would appeal the decision. Officials at the RDA praised the move.

“Since January 2010, Portage, Valparaiso, Chesterton, Burns Harbor, and Porter have all passed resolutions in support of the RDA,” the authority said in a statement.

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