Mike Jessen

Outgoing Porter County Council member Mike Jessen believes the county has accomplished at least as much during his eight years on the council as it had during the previous 20. "I don't say that do be braggadocious about it or say it was all Mike Jessen because it was far, far from that. It involved a lot of different people who were willing to work together, cooperate and collaborate," Jessen told the rest of the council Tuesday.

More Valparaiso police officers are eligible for specialty pay, under the new contract between the city and the Valparaiso FOP lodge.

Some Valparaiso city employees will get bigger pay raises than originally proposed. The 2023 salary ordinance passed by the city council Monday includes a minimum raise of one-thousand dollars, double the initial proposal.

Porter County government employees are set to get significant pay raises next year. The 2023 budget adopted by the county council Tuesday includes raises ranging from a minimum of $4,000 to a maximum of 20 percent.

The Valparaiso City Council adopted the 2023 budgets for the city and Valparaiso Community Schools Monday.

Valparaiso city employees could get another pay raise next year. The proposed 2023 budget calls for salary increases ranging from a minimum of $500 to a maximum of four percent. That follows a four-percent raise this year.

The Porter County Council may be looking to boost road funding, amid rising costs and deteriorating streets. County Highway Supervisor Jim Polarek told council members last week that current funding levels aren't enough to keep up.

George Douglas is officially stepping down from the Valparaiso City Council, as he prepares to take over as the city's development director. His appointment to the position was announced on March 16, but before he could work for the city, he had to resign from his elected council position.