Assessment mistake will cost East Chicago
TAXES : Tax shortfall and state-mandated freeze may jeopardize pay raises
BY BILL DOLAN
bdolan@nwitimes.com
219.662.5328
Date posted online: Friday, January 04, 2008

EAST CHICAGO | The North Township assessor made an error that will result in an estimated $11.5 million shortfall in East Chicago's tax revenue, the assessor confirmed Thursday.

Assessor John Matonovich publicly acknowledged the mistake in a letter released Thursday by his chief deputy, Margot Miller. Miller said Matonovich would have no further comment on the matter.

Sherry Stone, an assistant to Lake County Assessor Paul Karras, said the error apparently occurred when the township's assessment of the ArcelorMittal steel plant was mistakenly entered twice into the county's database under the separate names of Inland and Mittal.

Inland changed its corporate name after merging into ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steelmaker.

Matonovich states in the letter, "As you are aware, a data input error in my office has erroneously produced a $151 million assessment notice, which will result in a $11.5 million shortfall in tax collections for the City of East Chicago.

"I assume full responsibility for the error. I apologize to Mayor Pabey, the elected officials of East Chicago and to the citizens of East Chicago for this gross error."

In the letter, Matonovich also promised added levels of review to ensure similar situation will not reoccur.

James Bennett, a financial consultant for East Chicago, said he is trying to determine the impact of the error but believes Matonovich's multimillion dollar estimate may be too high.

"We don't know all the facts. We are going to have everyone sit down in the same room and figure it out," Bennett said.

Bennett said the city budget already is under stress because of a state-mandated property-tax freeze that will deny $2 million to the city budget this year. He said proposed pay raises for employees may be jeopardized.

Stone said the township assessors have been struggling with the new system of linking property taxes to real estate market values.

Last month, Ross Township Assessor Randall Guernsey said his office is correcting an undervaluation of Westfield Southlake mall, more than doubling the shopping center's tax value to make it right.

And last spring, a vacant lot in East Chicago was mistakenly given a $1.2 billion value because of a clerical error, with a North Township assessor's employee mistaking square feet for acres, the township assessor reported.

It will affect only city workers, if it has an effect at all.~~~

Hammond man shot dead in East Chicago

BY LAURI HARVEY KEAGLE
lkeagle@nwitimes.com
219.852.4311
Date posted online: Thursday, January 10, 2008

EAST CHICAGO | A Hammond man was shot to death in East Chicago early Thursday morning in an apparent homicide, according to the Lake County Coroner's Office.

Anthony D. Hinton, 21, of the 6500 block of Jefferson Ave., was pronounced dead at 4:13 a.m. in the emergency room of St. Catherine's Hospital, according to the coroner's office. Hinton suffered multiple gunshot wounds as the result of an apparent homicide, according to the coroner's report.

The shooting death occurred at 4844 Gladiola Ave. The coroner's office reported police were called to the scene to investigate a disturbance with shots fired.

East Chicago police referred questions about the homicide to Police Chief Angelo Machuca, who was not available for comment early Thursday morning.

What a lovely little hamlet.

Yes, it IS aLOVELY Hamlet. Everyone is jealous because they can't live there. For real.

Yes, it IS aLOVELY Hamlet. Everyone is jealous because they can't live there. For real.

Wow, for living in Crown Point and Dyer, Exprazzo sure knows his streets in E.C.

You wanna commit suicide? Take a trip to E.C. It's just a gorgeous ground for killings.

Your family can actually sue, even though you went there to commit suicide. Fly by specials are a specialty!

No money down...just drive through. Oh, and notice the Spanish-Billboards on your way to death.

Mexico erected in a cesspool of non-speaking Enlish illegally there, gangsters. What a lovely place to live and fly through if you consider suicide.

To top the sundae, they teach their children at an early age how to be a "gansta."

They don't charge, don't ask, just shoot ya.