1. (a) This section applies to Lake County, LaPorte County, Porter County, and any municipality in those counties that is a member of the northwest Indiana regional development authority ( IC 36-7.5 ) for purposes of categorizations, allocations, and distributions of additional revenue that is allocated each year for economic development purposes under IC 6-3.6-6-9 .

2. (b) This subsection applies only to Lake County. The county or a city described in IC 36-7.5-2-3 (b) may use additional revenue that is allocated each year for economic development purposes under IC 6-3.6-6-9 for making transfers required by IC 36-7.5-4-2 or to provide rail project funding under IC 36-7.5-4.5 . The county or a city or town in the county may use additional revenue that is allocated each year for economic development purposes under IC 6-3.6-6-9 to provide homestead credits in the county, city, or town. The following apply to homestead credits provided under this subsection:

   1. (1) The county, city, or town fiscal body must adopt an ordinance authorizing the homestead credits. The ordinance must specify the amount of additional revenue that will be used to provide homestead credits in the following year.
   2. (2) The county, city, or town fiscal body that adopts an ordinance under this subsection must forward a copy of the ordinance to the county auditor and the department of local government finance not more than thirty (30) days after the ordinance is adopted.
   3. (3) The homestead credits must be applied uniformly to provide a homestead credit for homesteads in the county, city, or town.
   4. (4) The homestead credits shall be treated for all purposes as property tax levies.
   5. (5) The homestead credits shall be applied to the net property taxes due on the homestead after the application of all other assessed value deductions or property tax deductions and credits that apply to the amount owed under IC 6-1.1 .
   6. (6) The auditor of state shall determine the homestead credit percentage for a particular year based on the amount of additional revenue that will be used under this subsection to provide homestead credits in that year.

3. (c) This subsection applies only to LaPorte County as follows:

   1. (1) This subsection applies if:

      1. (A) the county fiscal body has adopted an ordinance under IC 36-7.5-2-3 (e) providing that the county is joining the northwest Indiana regional development authority; and
      2. (B) the fiscal body of the city described in IC 36-7.5-2-3 (e) has adopted an ordinance under IC 36-7.5-2-3 (e) providing that the city is joining the development authority.
   2. (2) Additional revenue that is allocated each year for economic development purposes under IC 6-3.6-6-9 may be used by a county or a city described in IC 36-7.5-2-3 (e) for making transfers required by IC 36-7.5-4-2 . In addition, if the allocation of additional revenue for economic development purposes under IC 6-3.6-6-9 is increased in the county, the first three million five hundred thousand dollars ($3,500,000) of the tax revenue that results each year from the allocation increase shall be used by the county only to make the county's transfer required by IC 36-7.5-4-2 and shall be paid by the county treasurer to the treasurer of the northwest Indiana regional development authority under IC 36-7.5-4-2 before certified distributions are made to the county or any cities or towns in the county.

   3. (3) All of the additional revenue allocated for economic development purposes under IC 6-3.6-6-9 that results each year from an allocation increase described in subdivision (2) and that is in excess of the first three million five hundred thousand dollars ($3,500,000) must be used by the county and cities and towns in the county for homestead credits under this subsection. The following apply to homestead credits provided under this subsection:

      1. (A) The homestead credits must be applied uniformly to provide a homestead credit for homesteads in the county, city, or town.
      2. (B) The homestead credits shall be treated for all purposes as property tax levies.
      3. (C) The homestead credits shall be applied to the net property taxes due on the homestead after the application of all other assessed value deductions or property tax deductions and credits that apply to the amount owed under IC 6-1.1 .
      4. (D) The auditor of state shall determine the homestead credit percentage for a particular year based on the amount of additional revenue that will be used under this subdivision to provide homestead credits in that year.

4. (d) This subsection applies only to Porter County. The additional revenue designated each year for economic development purposes under IC 6-3.6-6 shall be allocated and used as follows:

   1. (1) First, the revenue attributable to an income tax rate of twenty-five hundredths percent (0.25%) shall be allocated to the county and cities and towns as provided in IC 6-3.6-6-9 .
   2. (2) Second, the next three million five hundred thousand dollars ($3,500,000) of the revenue shall be used for the county or for eligible municipalities (as defined in IC 36-7.5-1-11.3 ) in the county, to make transfers as provided in and required under IC 36-7.5-4-2 . This amount shall be paid by the county treasurer to the treasurer of the northwest Indiana regional development authority under IC 36-7.5-4-2 . If Porter County ceases to be a member of the northwest Indiana regional development authority under IC 36-7.5 but two (2) or more municipalities in the county have become members of the northwest Indiana regional development authority as authorized by IC 36-7.5-2-3 (i), the county treasurer shall continue to transfer this amount to the treasurer of the northwest Indiana regional development authority under IC 36-7.5-4-2 .

   3. (3) Third, except as provided in IC 36-7.5-3-5 , all of the revenue each year that is in excess of the amounts described in subdivisions (1) and (2) must be used by the county and cities and towns in the county for homestead credits. The following apply to homestead credits provided under this subdivision:

      1. (A) The homestead credits must be applied uniformly to provide a homestead credit for homesteads in the county, city, or town.
      2. (B) The homestead credits shall be treated for all purposes as property tax levies.
      3. (C) The homestead credits shall be applied to the net property taxes due on the homestead after the application of all other assessed value deductions or property tax deductions and credits that apply to the amount owed under IC 6-1.1 .
      4. (D) The auditor of state shall determine the homestead credit percentage for a particular year based on the amount of additional revenue that will be used under this subdivision to provide homestead credits in that year.

As added by P.L.197-2016, SEC.72. Amended by P.L.248-2017, SEC.1.