Dan Carden

CROWN POINT — The Lake County Council has declined to establish a second efficiency committee specifically to prepare for the severe projected impact of Senate Enrolled Act 1 on the county's finances.

The Democratic-controlled panel voted 5-2 along party lines Tuesday to reject the spending cut guidelines and timelines proposed by Councilman Randy Niemeyer, R-Cedar Lake.

Under his plan, a five-member panel would have been tasked with finding ways of reducing county spending by 20% ahead of the 2027 budget cycle, so Lake County would be better prepared for the $28.7 million property tax revenue loss it's due to suffer in 2028.

Niemeyer said his goal was for "everybody collaboratively working together to identify the opportunities that we have in county government to create

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