CALUMET
TOWNSHIP-LAKE
COUNTY
TRUSTEE'S OFFICE
MARY
ELGIN,
TRUSTEE
Calumet
Township Board
Ron Matlock– Chairperson
Alex Cherry– Secretary
Clorius Lay– Member
MISSION
STATEMENT
Calumet Township is committed to providing
professional, compassionate service to help residents in
time of dire economic emergency. The township
will utilize social services, job training and employment
assistance to help clients in the transition from societal
dependence to economic independence.
What is Calumet Township …
Calumet Township is located in Lake County Northwestern
Indiana. It is one of the largest of the state's 1,008 townships.
Its population of approximately 120,000 comprises the City
of Gary, Town of Griffith and unincorporated areas between.
Its 2006 approved budget is $18.4 million.
Because
its population exceeds 10,000, the township has two elected
administrators, a trustee and an assessor. All references
to the township at this website are concerned solely with
the trustee's office.
The township has
two statutory levels of responsibility. One is the trustee;
the other is a three member township board. The Calumet
Township Trustee is Mary Elgin, who was elected November
6, 2002 to her first four-year term. The Calumet Township
Board currently consists of elected members: Clorius Lay,
Ron Matlock and Alex Cherry.
Calumet Township
is classified as an urban township. This means the trustee's
main responsibility is to provide assistance to the needy.
For those who qualify, such assistance includes rent and
utility payments; burial, clothing, dental, food, medical
and job training to help move clients into the workforce.
In 2005 the township processed over 32,000 applications
for assistance, of which 10, 277 clients qualified at a
cost of approximately $12.6 million.
Trustee Elgin put it best in discussing township goals. “We are committed to helping all those in need. The genuinely needy will find compassion and understanding at the trustee's office, coupled with the will to direct the needy to paths that will lead them from societal dependence to sustainable economic independence. Our staff is highly professional and has been directed to treat all clients with dignity and respect. We are here to serve. That is our pledge. That is our promise.” |
