Three Democrats are facing off for their party’s bid in the upcoming Lake County auditor primary election. One Republican is running unopposed and will face the primary winner on November’s ballot.
Current Auditor Peggy Holinga Katona, Lake County Recorder Gina Pimentel and former Calumet Township Assessor’s Office Chief of Staff Sondra Ford are the eligible Democrats. Ironworker Charles Messler is the lone Republican.
Lake County voters will choose a Democratic candidate in the May 5 primary election.
According to the Lake County website, the auditor oversees ledgers and records affecting county funds, and oversees duties related to the assessment of property and levy and collection of property taxes, among other roles.
Katona was elected auditor in the 2022 general election, and she served as treasurer before. She has about 40 years of finance experience, Katona said.
She’s helped make tax bills and payments more accessible, Katona said.
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“I’ve always been working with the public to make things better and more fair for everyone,” she added. “And I will continue to do that. … I feel everything is working well right now, but if I find anything that needs to be changed, I will do it.”
If reelected, Katona wants to continue with “good customer service,” and she wants to keep the office’s departments in good shape. Each department runs well, Katona said, which she thinks is important for any office.
“We haven’t had any late bills from our bookkeeping department,” Katona said. “Our billing department is on top of everything as far as correctors that have to be made from the assessor or whatever mistakes are happening.”
At the Lake County Council’s April 14 meeting, council members expressed disappointment with Katona, after finding out the state notified her office about miscalculations of the county’s Property Tax Replacement Credit by $40 million since 2023. Council member Dave Hamm, D-1st, attributed the mistake to Katona not coming into work in almost four years, according to Post-Tribune archives. Katona said she hasn’t been to work for three years after sustaining serious injuries, including breaking her leg, fracturing her back and tearing both rotator cuffs, after a fall in a Lake County Government Center hallway, and she’s had six surgeries.
Katona believes the action was done to hurt her campaign, she told the Post-Tribune.
“I’ve had many phone calls and have heard from many people that have said that it was obviously an election stunt,” Katona said. “It was terrible.”
Pimentel has been recorder for six years, she said, after starting as the office’s chief deputy in 2016. She’s worked closely with the auditor’s office and believes she’s most qualified to run for the office, Pimentel said.
She’d first go through the office and see what’s “currently being done” and what she thinks could improve. Pimentel wants each department to have a dedicated supervisor.
“I’d focus on departmental assessment and training,” Pimentel said. “So, going through the office, conducting a comprehensive assessment of all departments, training for all staff, including myself. … I did the same thing when I became recorder.”
Pimentel also plans to work closely with the Indiana State Board of Accounts, which she believes is a priority now. A close relationship with the board could help learn what needs to be improved, Pimentel said.
She also plans to work closely with the Lake County Council, its finance department and recorder’s office to ensure compliance. Pimentel is also focused on tax sale reform within the office.
“I believe it’s time for the auditor’s office to be held to a higher standard,” Pimentel said. “When I came into the recorder’s office, it had an absentee elected official, and I came into an office that was not in compliance with the state board. I worked hard to get that office to where it is today.”
Ford decided to run for auditor because she believes the office is “a ship without a captain.” She also believes that most people in Lake County don’t know they have an auditor, and she wants to make the position more public-facing.
In the Calumet Township Assessor’s Office, Ford worked closely with the auditor’s office, she said. The offices share systems, and she knows what errors have been made before and how to prevent them.
“I try to immerse myself in whatever I’m doing,” Ford said. “That way, I can be the best and know what most and know exactly what I’m doing. I want to bring that experience to the auditor’s office.”
If elected, Ford wants to remain financially transparent for Lake County residents, especially after the county’s 2022 budget was found to be unauditable.
Operational efficiency between departments is another top concern for Ford, she said. Ford also wants to ensure that systems are modernized, data is accurate and the staff is well-trained.
She also wants to strengthen the relationship between the auditor’s and treasurer’s offices. If elected, Ford wants to hire a certified public accounting firm to look at the office.
“I love problem solving,” Ford said. “And this is a problem that we need to solve.”
In a Tuesday statement, Messler said he’s running to “restore trust, transparency, accountability and common sense” to how county tax dollars are managed.
“In 2022 when Lake County was deemed unauditable, I considered it unacceptable, and seeing the surprising lack of conservative candidates running for many (county-wide) offices, I decided to throw my hat in the ring,” Messler said. “My goals are to start making meaningful changes like enforcing internal controls, coordinating with the Treasurer’s office to balance the books every month, and to get the Auditor’s office in compliance for our future audits to raise our bond rating.”
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