The upcoming election in Lake County will feature new faces as the first two council seats become open. Longtime Democratic District 1 Councilman Dave Hamm has retired after 11 years, paving the way for fresh contenders.
Democrat Christina Signorelli Steps Forward
Christina Signorelli, a Democrat from Hammond, seeks to fill the District 1 seat. With her background in real estate and economic development and her role as president of the Lake County Young Democrats, she feels ready for the challenge.
Citing her economic development experience and caregiving background, Signorelli outlined four key goals:
- Enhancing public safety and crime prevention to improve life quality.
- Fixing infrastructure without raising taxes.
- Implementing more green infrastructure projects.
- Upgrading technology for increased transparency.
Signorelli supports ‘smart development’ and prudent use of tax-increment financing, emphasizing the potential of centralizing grants to avoid tax hikes. She stresses the need for transparency and resident input, especially when considering data centers in Lake County.
Republican James Lietz Enters the Race
James Lietz, the Republican candidate from Munster, has previously run for other positions and brings over 33 years of experience as a Hammond police officer. He decided to enter the race following encouragement from both party sectors after Signorelli’s primary victory.
Lietz has clear priorities:
- Reviewing county operations for efficiency.
- Developing a revenue-impact model countywide.
- Expanding the tax base with sustainable development.
- Engaging municipalities in planning before the income-tax transition.
Like Signorelli, Lietz views data centers cautiously. He prefers them in industrial areas, emphasizing the need for case-by-case evaluation to consider their impact on infrastructure and residents’ quality of life.
District 2 Sees New Competition
In District 2, the race includes Democrat Darren Washington and Republican Bradley Hutchinson. Washington, a Gary Common Council member, won the Democratic primary, while Hutchinson, a newcomer, opposes current administration practices.
Hutchinson criticizes the misuse of funds in local government and opposes data centers, citing increased energy costs. He advocates for legislation to restore the tax system to its prior state.
While Washington has not commented, he has been actively working with municipalities to protest utility rate hikes by NIPSCO.