This story ran on nwitimes.com on Thursday, December 28, 2006 12:44 AM CST

DuPey backing circuit breaker for personal benefit?

Fran DuPey seems to be out on a limb.

She is singing a tune not in harmony with other local public officials. Most fear the impact of a “circuit breaker” tax policy they believe will leave Lake County governments some $232 million short in revenue by the year 2010.

DuPey thinks the situation is fine. After all, she is a landlord and it’s the adjustment for rental property and major industries by 2010 that some claim will wreck government financing throughout Lake County.

Rather than recuse herself because of an apparent conflict, Lake County Commissioner DuPey is using her position as a pulpit urging the tax plan be left intact.

Meanwhile, State Rep. Chet Dobis, D., Merrillville, and others are readying for a fight in the 2007 Indiana General Assembly where they want to strike down the perilous extension of the “circuit breaker” to rental property and big industry.

If left to take its planned course, Dobis says, the tax law will cause massive financial problems for local schools and governments, including major layoffs.

Of course, what’s odd is that DuPey’s position on the tax “circuit breaker” could help she and other landlords while forcing Lake County’s government to cut its spending to match that of lost revenue, something DuPey doesn’t seem too suited to doing in her job as county commissioner.

In the final analysis, it may be necessary for the tax law to be altered in a compromise that staves off deep government funding cuts but gives landlords and big business a fairer shake at the tax trough.

Maybe Commissioner DuPey can walk that as a politically acceptable line.