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West Lafayette backs Wabash Township request for public-safety LIT dollars despite city revenue trade-offs
Summary
After hearing a detailed presentation from Wabash Township leaders about staffing and run volumes, the council voted 6–2 to cast its votes in favor of Tippecanoe County allocating public-safety local income tax dollars to Wabash Township for 2027; councilors debated a potential $90,000 shortfall to West Lafayette's public-safety receipts and the timing of any countywide rate change.
The West Lafayette City Council voted 6–2 to support a Tippecanoe County local-income-tax allocation that would allow Wabash Township to access public-safety LIT dollars for 2027, after township officials described sustained run-volume growth and staffing shortfalls.
Angel Valentin, Wabash Township trustee, told the council that township residents have contributed an estimated $7.2 million to the public-safety LIT over time but have not received direct allocations to their own fire and EMS providers. "Your approval of this request today will begin to properly allocate the funds that residents of unincorporated Wabash Township have paid," Valentin said, outlining priorities including a ladder truck purchase and adding a sixth firefighter per shift.
Valentin and Wabash fire officials presented data showing run-volume growth — the township forecasts thousands more runs and said its firefighters respond at roughly twice the per-person rate of neighboring departments. Valentin said the countywide certified distributions total approximately $11.3 million this year with supplemental distributions on top; he estimated West Lafayette’s share would be reduced by roughly $90,000 next year if the county allocation is approved without a rate increase.
West Lafayette’s fire and police chiefs told the council they support Wabash Township’s need but cautioned about the practical trade-offs. "It's not ideal to try and find... $45,000 out of the fire budget if that's how it falls," West Lafayette Fire Chief Jeff Need said, noting operational constraints. Police Chief Adam Ferguson echoed concerns about recruitment and morale if the city were asked to give up local receipts while the department faces tight budgets.
Council members split on the question of whether to back the township without a countywide rate increase; several said they were sympathetic to the township's case and saw it as a county-level problem, and some suggested a modest rate change (0.18% to 0.19% or 0.20%) could offset losses for cities. After discussion and public comment that included both support and caution, the council voted to cast its local-option income-tax votes in favor of Wabash Township’s request for 2027 distributions (6 ayes, 2 nays). The measure now requires approval from other units on the local income tax council to take effect.
The council’s vote does not itself change the tax rate; it registers West Lafayette’s position on the county allocation process and on whether the city would support the township request.
