The residents of the Porter County side of Lakes of the Four Seasons — and some of their non-resident friends — listened to a pitch for the financial needs of the Lakes of the Four Seasons Volunteer Fire Force ahead of a special Thursday meeting of the Porter County Board of Commissioners.

Board of Commissioners President Jim Biggs, R-North, said there is no more funding to be had and he doesn’t believe key individuals at the fire department understand how the tax rate was set and what would go into raising it. He said the only way to raise more money would be to expand the physical size of the district.

Indiana State Representative Julie Olthoff, R-Crown Point, addresses the crowd at a meeting in the Lakes of the Four Seasons Clubhouse Monday night hosted by the LOFS Volunteer Fire Force. (Shelley Jones/Post-Tribune)

“That’s what’s going to be made clear at Thursday’s meeting, what the county can and cannot do,” to raise funds, Biggs said Tuesday. The upcoming meeting was scheduled as the West Porter Township Fire Protection District seeks to agree to a contract for 2026 with the fire force, which includes the Porter County side of LOFS as well as Winfield Township and the Town of Winfield.

LOFSVFF Chief Kevin Heerema said negotiations stand at a $260,000 shortfall. “We had hoped to increase it a little just to add an additional person at night,” Heerema said of the proposed budget that is slightly higher next year. There are currently four part-time first responders during the day and three at night. Heerema gave an overview of the situation from the department’s perspective during a Monday night meeting at the LOFS Clubhouse.

Three of the WPTFPD Board members were present, as well as Board Attorney Adam Sworden. He responded to Board Secretary Rob Rabelhofer’s statement at the meeting that the board refused to fill out a maximum levy request with the state to raise more funds. “We need statistical data. We need runs,” he said.

“We started this back in February,” said Board Chairman Craig Klauer. “We even did a FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) request for information. We didn’t get it,” Sworden added. He said the deadline for a max levy request was in August and the board didn’t receive the requested materials.

“Oh, they got plenty from the FOIA request,” Heerema said when asked about it. “Everything they requested from the FOIA request they received from our attorney.”

He said the FOIA request was received from Sworden Aug. 1. Fire Force Attorney Nathan Vis responded to the request within a week, according to Heerema, but requested an extension and provided the documents within a month.

Sworden provided a packet at Monday’s meeting that included a statement released Friday regarding a recent meeting between the district board and the department.

“The District’s takeaway from the meeting is the Department is unwilling to provide EMS service to the District unless additional funds are provided to them. Unfortunately for the District, it does not have the funds the Department is seeking,” the statement reads.

It goes on to say the District is unwilling to enter into a contract with EMS service being provided. It also states that the District is willing to commit $225,000, or $1,076 per call, compared to the $554 per call the Town of Winfield currently pays.

“We have offered virtually all of our General Fund property tax dollars committed to providing Public Safety. There are no extra funds available. While the Town of Winfield has been working to increase its funding levels to the Fire Force, it’s still paying only $639.83 per call for 2026, still a far cry from what we pay,” the statement continues. “If the Fire District were paying the same ‘per call’ fee we would be paying only about $135,000.”

While the debate about the inequities of the entities paying into the district continues, residents of LOFS are concerned about response times if Northwest Health becomes the primary EMS responder for the District service area. Their two closest ambulance stations — one at the Union Township Fire Station, and the other between Hebron and Kouts — are 15 minutes from LOFS.

“That 10 or 15 minutes scares me,” said Porter County LOFS resident John Dominikovich, who told the crowd he suffered a “massive” stroke and arrived for an experimental surgery in Munster that saved his life with just 15 minutes to spare. “If I waited an extra 15 minutes, I wouldn’t be standing here right now.”

Porter County Council President Andy Vasquez, D-4th, told the crowd, “Basically, the County Council handles your bills, with the exception of this. I have heard you for a long time. You guys today have been extremely respectful.”

He encouraged them all to attend Thursday’s meeting and bring more neighbors with them.

The district of State Representative Julie Olthoff, R-Crown Point, includes LOFS, and she attended the Monday meeting.

“We have to keep talking,” she said. “Tax rates are going to be fixed. Townships have been on the chopping block for four years running.”

Some in the room were concerned even though they’re not residents on the Porter County side of LOFS.

“When Porter County loses something, Lake County will be next,” said Linda Vivirito, who has lived on the Lake County side of LOFS for 13 years. “If we don’t show up for our neighbors, Lake County will be next.”

Shelley Jones is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.

If you go

A meeting to address the issue will be held at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in the Council Chamber at the Porter County Administration Building, located at 155 Indiana Ave. in Valparaiso. Doors open at 5 p.m.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/17/lofs-fire-service-wants-2026-budget-increase/