Campaign Phone Number
219-512-6591
email
ajmanuel1@gmail.com
street
2547 West 19th Avenue Gary, IN 46404
Years in an elected position
1 Term as a Precint Committeeman Gary, Indiana G3-26 (Currently Serving)
Priority 1: Financial Accountability
The Treasurer’s office must maintain accurate, auditable records and meet all State Board of Accounts requirements. I will bring strict compliance discipline to ensure transparency and prevent costly mistakes. Taxpayers should never pay to fix preventable financial mismanagement.
Priority 2: Clear Communication
With changes like Senate Enrolled Act 1, tax bills will become more complex. I will improve communication so residents understand their bills, deadlines, and options, with accessible resources and responsive service.
Priority 3: Preventing Tax Sales
Tax sales should be a last resort. I will expand outreach to connect homeowners with payment plans and support early, while working with partners to return vacant properties to productive use and strengthen neighborhoods.
My career spans over 20 years in banking, financial services, and financial management — the experience the Treasurer’s office demands. I hold an MBA from Indiana University Northwest and a B.S. in Organizational Management from Calumet College of St. Joseph, graduating Magna Cum Laude.
As VP and CRA Officer at First Savings Bank of Hegewisch, I oversee compliance, risk, and community investment performance, directly aligning with the Treasurer’s public fund and reporting responsibilities under Indiana law.
Previously, at U.S. Bank and in other banking roles, I helped small businesses access credit and managed operations, budgets, and compliance. This is practical, hands-on financial expertise I apply every day.
As Treasurer, I will implement practical changes to reduce tax sales. I will expand notice efforts with 90/60/30-day reminders, including mail and email when available. I will launch a 24/7 online payment plan portal and ensure all offices can enroll residents same day. I will promote hardship deferrals by including eligibility information in every delinquency notice. Outreach will be multilingual to reflect Lake County’s communities. I will also partner with organizations like NIRA, housing counselors, and community groups to reach homeowners early. These steps will help prevent tax sales, protect residents, and strengthen neighborhoods.
N/A Not the incumbent.
My Commitment: I bring the financial expertise to manage this office well, the CRA professional background to deploy its investment authority effectively, the compliance discipline to keep its records auditable, and the community roots in Gary and Lake County to manage it with genuine accountability to the residents it serves.
Campaign Phone Number
219-746-3045
email
jp7496@yahoo.com
Years in an elected position
42
1) Seeking out investment options to maximize interest return with both general property tax dollars and Sheriff's pension fund. 2) Increase options for taxpayers to pay property taxes and personal property taxes to make payment more convenient without having to drive to county offices. 3) Reestablish tax amnesty plan through legislation helping taxpayers to pay principle delinquency saving their homes. Previous legislation written by me was approved by the Indiana General Assembly for one tax year only. It allowed over 300 Lake County taxpayers to save their homes from a tax sale.
I have over 34 years of government finance experience . My office collects, processes, accounts for and reconciles 1.3 billion per year received from over 360,000 taxpayers. During these 34 years I have worked closely with the Indiana State Board of Accounts and the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance. I have written dozens of budgets and also provided controller services for the Lake County Solid Waste Management District. I have received mandatory annual certifications through the State of Indiana. I have a bachelor's degree from Indiana University in political science and my personal credit rating allows me to be bondable. Without the ability to be bonded it would be difficult to serve as Treasurer if allowed at all.
We are in the process of attempting to reduce our budget by 20%. We are also looking at legislative relief allowing us to seek reimbursement for the collection of special assessments that are collected for certain taxing units on their behalf. We have also substantially increased the collection of bankruptcy judgements owed the county having assigned an employee to work full time with bankruptcy trustees. Just in the last 5 months this effort has returned approximately 1 million dollars to taxing units.
I am available to my constituents on social media , by phone and in person. Taxpayers do not need an appointment to see me. I also go out to various civic groups, faith based and social groups with presentations on the services that our office provides and we help Taxpayers with any issues they have even if it involves another agency or unit of government.
I enjoy my job. I enjoy working with the public . There is a big difference between government accounting and banking. We are not in the business of selling CD's or filling out mortgage applications. An accounting or bookkeeping background is essential. We have an accountant on staff and experienced bookkeeping methods in place to provide proper internal controls and to make sure that all taxpayer dollars are accounted for.
