City’s path begins with selection of next mayor
The Portage mayoral campaign headquarters for Mayor John Cannon and Council President Sue Lynch are little more than a stone’s throw apart but, on most issues affecting the city and the campaign itself, the candidates could not be further apart.
Lynch, D-At large, who beat three challengers in the May primary, served as mayor for about three weeks after former Mayor James Snyder, a Republican, was found guilty of federal corruption charges in February.
A Republican caucus installed Cannon, then a member of the City Council, as mayor to finish would have been the final year in Snyder’s second, four-year term.
On the financial front, the city council late last month passed a balanced budget for 2020, as required by state law, but a dispute remains between Cannon, who claims he found money to fill in budget holes in 2019, and Lynch and members of the council’s budget committee, who claim the city may carry over $2 million or more from 2019 to 2020.
Any debt remaining in 2019 will be subtracted from any money the state awards Portage for its 2020 budget.
Cannon, 51, said he, along with the city’s financial consultant, found money available in this year’s budget to fill in any holes, and, he said, “looks like Cannon fixed the budget” by moving money from the city’s $2 million cable TV fund, and other funds, into the general fund and using revenue from the city’s casino and other funds to fill holes and create a budget cushion.
Lynch agreed the 2019 budget is “distressed,” and, Lynch said she will call for a full audit of the city’s finances as soon as she takes office, if she wins.
“We have to know how much money we really have and how much we have going out,” she said. “We have to look at what cuts we can make in the budget.”
On infrastructure, Cannon said residents have applauded the road work going on throughout the city and what he called a five-year, $5.5 million sidewalk plan.
Lynch, however, said the city has been “fiscally irresponsible,” paying for paving work without knowing in advance if there is money to do the projects.
“I think (the administration) knew there wasn’t money, but, (Cannon) went to various boards, like the stormwater board, to try to find the money, to cover the costs of some of this,” Lynch said. “You can’t do the paving and hope you get the money from somewhere. You need to have that done ahead of time.”
Lynch, 76, pointed to the 2018 paving project, which began under Snyder, that began with a $1.1 million contract before exploding to $3.3 million, after Snyder increased the list of projects and a long line of change orders flowed to the city.
According to city records, those change orders far exceeded standard thresholds for changes to original contracts. Between March and August this year, records show the board of works, made mostly of Snyder appointees who Cannon kept on, approved more than $324,000 in change orders for the 2018 work.
Cannon has said the board had to pay for work already completed and he did not want to re-bid some of the work because it would have cost the city more money.
Lynch and Cannon agreed there needs to be more communication between the city and the U.S. Steel and ArcellorMittal, both steel mills lining Lake Michigan and both responsible for four sizable chemical spills since 2017.
Both candidates said the federal Environmental Protection Agency and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management have to be more diligent in monitoring the mills and keeping the spills from happening in the first place.
Cannon spoke of a communication plan he helped develop between the mills, the federal EPA and the IDEM, enacted after an August spill of cyanide and other chemicals into the lake. The plan calls for the mills to contact the county dispatch system and the city to inform officials of any spills and those officials then informing Portage residents.
Cannon said the next mayor needs to hold IDEM’s “feet to the fire” to keep the city more informed of environmental events like the spills but offered no other solutions for avoiding the chemical spills.
Instead, Cannon took one of many shots at Lynch, accusing his opponent of avoiding tough issues for political reasons.
“Where has the council president been on this?” Cannon asked. “You’ve got to take a stand on things like cyanide.”
Lynch, a longtime environmental activist, said communication between the mills and the city is important, but, avoiding spills in the first place is the way to go. She also countered Cannon’s attack on her leadership.
“Leaders don’t have to be seen beating their chest on the front page of newsletters,” she said. “Leaders are often behind the scenes privately getting things done.
“On every board I’m on, I’m always there participating.”
The candidates differed on a political action committee called Hoosiers for Accountability, created by David Fagen, a high-ranking official with the Operating Engineers Local 150, which sent out multiple mailers attacking Lynch as a spendthrift.
The language in the flyers indicated Lynch supported extra taxes for 9-1-1 calls on “taxpayers” and exorbitant raises for council members, as well as huge increases in stormwater fees.
In several interviews, Cannon insisted he had nothing to do with the flyers attacking his opponent, but, he agreed with most of the language used in the mailers.
Cannon later agreed the 9-1-1 increases were actually part of an “excessive calls” ordinance for large businesses that made many monthly calls to local police, and, the major increases in stormwater fees disproportionately affected businesses, while residents saw monthly increases of less than a dollar.
The mayor said he also received the raises the council approved, though he did not vote for them and he gave his increases to charity.
Lynch said the mailers were party of “a dirty campaign” to support Cannon, while claiming she has kept her campaign clean and focused on issues.
Complicating the issue is the city’s relationship with Local 150, which did not support Fagen’s flyers but did endorse Cannon. The union represents the majority of city employees and Portage pays the union more than $4.5 million annually for health insurance.
Lynch said if she becomes mayor, she will not automatically look to change the relationship with Local 150, because city workers are happy with their insurance.
Michael Gonzalez is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
Hammond Public Library programs
Hammond Public Library will host a variety of upcoming events at the library, 564 State St. The Aliveness Project staff will visit the library at 1 p.m. Thursday to share information on various resources that support the HIV population, including housing and counseling. Information is with Debra Powers at 219-931-5100, Ext. 320. Fans of comic conventions are invited to FanFest from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. The event offers fun for the whole f a m i l y. S e e w w w. hammond.lib.in.us/fan fest.html to register for contests and competitions, or for a list of vendors. Information is at HPLFanFest@gmail.com or 219-931-5100, Ext. 332. The WTTW BIG IDEA Traveling Lab will present a free live show for ages 2-7 at 10 a.m. Saturday. Clifford the Big Red Dog will be there, as well as dozens of vendors and artists. More information is at 219-931-5100.
Military personnel, veterans ride free on SSL
As a way of saying thank you, all active duty military personnel and veterans are invited to ride the South Shore Line for free Friday through Veterans Day, Nov. 11. No identification will be required, just notify train personnel of your status. On Veterans Day trains will follow the regular weekday train schedule. Up to three children 13 years of age and younger may ride free with each veteran on off-peak weekday and all weekend trains. Information on train schedules and discounts can be found at mysouthshore line.com.
Top 20 Inc. to host annual fundraiser
Top 20 Inc.’s Putting Positive Choices in Motion third annual fundraiser will be held from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Friday at the Ameristar Ballroom, 777 Ameristar Blvd., East Chicago. There will be food, raffles and a silent auction. The cost is $100 per person. For tickets, contact Carolyn Upshaw-Royal at 517-8816627. More information is at JLGivens@netnitco. net.
CommuniTree to offer free pruning workshop
CommuniTree will host a free workshop on the principles of proper pruning followed by a field demonstration and hands-on practice from 9 a.m. to noon Friday at the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission, 6100 Southport Road, Portage. Target attendees include arborists, tree board members, parks staff, public works, engineers and volunteers interested in helping to maintain their community’s urban forest. Preapproval for 3 Continuing Education Units from the International Society of Arboriculture is pending. Registration is required at eventbrite.com/Tree Pruning Workshop.
ServSafe Certification class
Purdue University Extension — Lake County will offer a ServSafe Certification class and exam from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Nov. 12 at 2291 N. Main St., Crown Point. Registration is at www. c ve n t . c o m/ d / w yq p g t. More information is with Linda Curley at 219-7553240.