Gary, Indiana, leaders, fearful of having to cut their excessive spending, have asked the State of Indiana to grant them the ability to continue collecting the highest property taxes in the State instead of following tax caps that every other municipality must adhere to.

In today’s Times article posted here it’s reported Gary’s revenue from property taxes would be cut in half, from $60 million to $30 million, when and if, they begin collecting under Indiana’s property tax caps - 1% of assessed value for personal property, 2% for rentals and 3% for commercial. 

A big chunk of money to be lost, yes, but is it really fair to be charging the citizens of Gary the highest rates in the State when according to the Census Bureau the median household income of the City stands at $27,195 compared to Indiana’s average of $41,567.  The residents of Gary already face a greater burden based on those numbers and yet their Mayor wants to make it worse instead of cutting spending like a responsible leader would.