Crown Point's request for a food and beverage tax has been withdrawn. In a letter to residents, Mayor Pete Land says a "collective decision" was made to withdraw House Bill 1236, which would've given the city council the option to adopt the one-percent tax.
Land says the city got positive as well as negative feedback, and the wide array of comments led the city to believe that the tax isn't in Crown Point's best interest. He says most of the feedback was about using tax revenues to expand downtown parking and develop the historic Lake County Courthouse and the old jail, even though they aren't owned by the city.
The bill would also have allowed food and beverage tax revenues be used for the Crown Point Sportsplex, Bulldog Park, Sauerman Woods Park, and multi-use trails.
The proposed tax drew opposition from the Crown Point Chamber of Commerce, following what it calls "overwhelming" feedback from local businesses.
