CROWN POINT | Lake County Surveyor George Van Til admitted for the first time Thursday he pumped $125 of county gasoline into his private vehicles within the last three weeks.
County Commissioner Gerry Scheub, D-Schererville, said Thursday a county ordinance regulating the use of county vehicles and gasoline doesn't specifically prohibit county officials from using the pumps, but "that is just common sense." Scheub said he will ask that the ordinance be amended to include the prohibition.
Van Til down played the incident as "a minor thing" being whipped up by his political enemies.
Scheub disagreed.
"This is major because of his first transgression," Scheub said, referring to Van Til lending a new county-owned truck to his son to drive to school just a few weeks ago.
"This adds insult to injury," Scheub said. "This hurts me. This hurts all incumbents running for office."
The controversy erupts as county government spending comes under increasing scrutiny and as rising property-tax bills are about to be mailed and the County Council prepares to vote next week to impose a 1-percent county income tax.
Rumors of Van Til's personal use of county gas began circulating a week ago. Van Til previously refused comment and denied wrongdoing.
"I should have been a little more forthcoming," he said Thursday afternoon.
He promised to reimburse the county for the $125.
Scheub said he will release a video today of Rob Guetzloff, a Schererville town councilman working for Van Til, pumping gas into Van Til's sport utility vehicle Nov. 29.
Guetzloff said he shouldn't be blamed.
"(Van Til) asked me to do it," Guetzloff said.
Van Til said he didn't need to fuel his private vehicles with county gas until last month when he gave up his take-home car, a Mercury Marquis, leased, fueled and maintained at public expense.
He said he used county gas in his personal vehicles because he didn't have money in his budget to receive mileage reimbursement.
Van Til said he didn't consider that to be against the rules because he knows of other county officials and employees who do it.
