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La Porte County candidate forum draws attention to data centers, homelessness and property assessments
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Summary
The League of Women Voters forum in Michigan City gave county and state candidates a platform to outline priorities including local regulation of data centers, responses to homelessness and mental-health needs, property-assessment fairness, and county budget pressures.
The League of Women Voters of La Porte County hosted a candidate forum at Michigan City’s council chambers that brought dozens of county and state candidates before voters, with live streaming provided by Accessport County (ALCO). Candidates for township boards, county assessor, sheriff, county council and county commission answered League-screened questions on homelessness, property assessments, data centers and county finances.
The forum’s moderator, Linda Lancaster of the League of Women Voters of La Porte County, opened by describing forum rules and voter resources, including the vote411.org voters guide and upcoming early-voting dates and locations. Lancaster reminded attendees that candidates have timed opening and closing statements and that questions are screened and limited to keep the program on schedule.
Speakers used the forum to highlight local priorities. Multiple candidates voiced concern about large data-center proposals and urged clear local zoning and oversight. Sheriff candidate Ron Heeg emphasized mental-health and drug-treatment needs and described the sheriff’s Crisis Intervention Team training and donated-funded K-9 program. County assessor candidates described how Indiana’s market-value-in-use standard differs from raw market value and said staff training and internal reassessments work to reduce appeals.
The forum also surfaced fiscal concerns: county commissioner candidate Angie Hensman warned of a projected multi‑million‑dollar deficit by 2028 and called for collaborative budget planning; other candidates stressed affordable housing and workforce development as part of economic-growth strategies.
The League and event host encouraged voters to use vote411.org and local election resources before the May 5 primary. The forum recording will be posted to ALCO’s YouTube channel within 48 hours.
