Ward 5 Representative
As your Merrillville Town Council President, I believe residents deserve honesty and transparency when it comes to the financial challenges facing our town and communities across Indiana. The recent push by the State of Indiana to cut property taxes may sound appealing on the surface, but the reality for local government is much more complicated.Property... Continue Reading →
Merrillville Town Council Takes Formal Action on ICE Detention Facility Proposal Last night, the Merrillville Town Council took an important and decisive step on an issue that has generated significant concern and conversation throughout our community. By formal vote, the Council adopted Resolution No. 26-02, a resolution unequivocally opposing the placement of a U.S. Immigration... Continue Reading →
Michael Hicks - the George and Frances Ball Distringuished Professor of Economics and Director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at Ball State University provides this enlighting commentary as it appeared in the Indiana CAPITAL CHRONICLE (January 26, 2026) about this important topic. I hope it helps homeowners understand the impact of the... Continue Reading →
I wanted to continue to keep you updated on the ICE facility rumors about a processing center coming to our town. I write rumor because as of today, it's just that. A rumor. I have written a letter to ICE/DHS and will post what their response is if I hear back. The FBI and even... Continue Reading →
The Town of Merrillville is aware of community concerns regarding a newly constructed, currently unoccupied 275,000 sq ft warehouse within our town limits that has been mentioned in a Washington Post story and further verified by the town.As of the writing of this statement, the Town has received no official (or unofficial) notice or communication from... Continue Reading →
When I first served on the Town Council from 1991 to 2003, things felt far simpler than they do today. Our biggest debates were whether to buy Chevy or Ford police cars, what color the Street Department trucks should be, and how to stretch a modest budget to keep town services running. One major milestone... Continue Reading →
As we welcome the New Year, I want to take a moment to reflect on what was truly a strong and positive year for the Town of Merrillville.2025 was a very good year for our community. We experienced continued commercial and residential growth, maintained balanced budgets across all town departments, and achieved lower crime rates for... Continue Reading →
The Town of Merrillville is aware of a Washington Post article, as well as a subsequent front-page story in today’s (December 31) NWI Times, reporting that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is evaluating locations nationwide for potential processing centers.Merrillville was referenced in the Washington Post article as a possible processing site on a map accompanying... Continue Reading →
Tonight, I was deeply honored to be elected by my fellow Merrillville Town Council members to serve as Town Council President for 2026. This marks my seventh consecutive year serving as chair of the board—a responsibility I never take lightly.I was grateful to be nominated, but I must admit I was genuinely surprised and humbled when no other... Continue Reading →
A common question we hear is: "With all this new development happening in Merrillville, shouldn't the town be collecting a lot more property tax money?" The answer is a surprisingly no, and it's due to the way Indiana's tax system works. 1. Indiana Caps What Merrillville Is Allowed to Collect Indiana does not let towns simply collect more... Continue Reading →