# Porter County Government - Municipal Unit Strategic Taskforce Committee - September 30th, 2026

The Porter County Municipal Unit Strategic Taskforce Committee met on September 30, 2026 (the metadata timestamp is October 1 UTC) for a financial briefing by Baker Tilly Municipal Advisors on Indiana’s new local income tax structure. The discussion focused on possible county, municipal, fire/EMS, township, and library allocations, the option for five larger municipalities to adopt their own rates, and how changes to property-tax credits under Senate Enrolled Act 1 may affect local revenues. Baker Tilly said the county’s current 0.5% rate generates about $38 million gross, including a $3.5 million Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority contribution and property-tax credits; illustrative scenarios showed lower rates could maintain current distributions, while adding services or making units whole could require a higher rate. The committee also discussed recommending that state legislators create a local-income-tax option for schools, which are excluded under current statute. No procurement decisions, contract awards, spending motions, or votes were identified.

Baker Tilly will prepare additional scenarios, including options that include schools, townships, libraries, and fire/EMS; compare rates such as 0.75% and 1%; and examine how to make affected units whole. The advisor will also follow up on questions about fire/EMS distributions and the effect of removing property-tax credits. The committee scheduled a follow-up for October 13 at 3 p.m. and a contingency meeting for October 19 at 3 p.m., with the aim of reviewing a recommendation before the November 2 submission deadline to DLGF. Any recommendation would be nonbinding; under the current schedule described, final rates would be adopted by October 1, 2028, take effect in 2029, and affect revenues beginning in 2030.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Published:** October 01, 2026

### Sources
- [Porter County Government - Municipal Unit Strategic Taskforce Committee - September 30th, 2026](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpGgs7n4MHo) - Porter County Government