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LaPorte County adopts ordinance tightening innkeepers-tax enforcement
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Summary
The LaPorte County Board of Commissioners on April 1 adopted Ordinance 2026-1, revising deadlines and adding a 60‑day personal‑liability penalty for trust‑tax remittance failures; the measure passed 3‑0 after county and CVB representatives summarized edits.
The LaPorte County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously April 1 to adopt Ordinance 2026‑1, which revises collection and enforcement procedures for the county innkeepers tax.
The ordinance extends a USPS‑related filing period from 20 to 30 days and codifies a 60‑day penalty window for ‘‘any individual with a duty to remit these trust taxes who knowingly fails to do so’’ after a tax warrant is filed, which can lead to personal liability and criminal referral, county attorneys said. Laura Nirenberg, attorney for the Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Treasurer Dan Barenie described the language changes to the Board before final reading.
Attorney Guy DiMartino read the ordinance title aloud at the meeting and told commissioners he had reviewed the final draft. Commissioner Joe Haney moved to approve the amendments and to read the ordinance by title only; Commissioner Connie Gramarossa seconded both motions. The final adoption vote was 3‑0.
Why it matters: the changes shorten administrative timelines to align with mailing realities and add a mechanism to hold individuals personally accountable when trust taxes are improperly withheld, a move county staff said aims to protect local tax revenue streams that fund tourism and local services.
The Board did not debate additional enforcement procedures at length at the meeting; the ordinance will be codified and enforced under county authority. The Board adjourned the meeting at 10:51 a.m.