Gov. Mitch Daniels has appointed former LaPorte Mayor Leigh Morris to two of the region's top economic development posts.
Just a week removed from the mayor's job, Morris will be sworn in as chairman of the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority this week and also will take up the reins as executive director of the Indiana Toll Road.
As RDA chairman, Morris replaces Bloomington resident John Clark, a Daniels' appointee who will continue to serve as the administration's top energy policy adviser. Morris will complete the remaining five years of Clark's seven-year term.
Morris takes on chairmanship of the RDA as the organization enters a critical phase of one of its lead projects, the extension of the South Shore railroad. Local state legislators this week are discussing the possibility of a new tax to fund $350 million of the project's costs.
"Things have been moving in a positive direction in Northwest Indiana," Morris said when contacted at his LaPorte home Monday afternoon. "Our legislative contingent is working together as they never did before and that means good things will happen."
The RDA chairmanship is an unpaid position. Morris will be paid $75,000 a year to serve as liaison between the administration, the private firm that operates the Toll Road and an oversight board created to monitor the 75-year lease of the highway.
"I got a great guy for two jobs and one salary -- a good break for the state," Daniels said.
The Republican governor said he expects the former GOP mayor "to be an impartial, honest broker" as RDA chairman and to provide "scrupulous adherence to every performance detail" of the $3.8 billion Toll Road deal the state inked in 2006.
"(Morris) understands how important transportation and infrastructure is," Daniels said. "But it's his personal fairness and ability to get along with people that I think will serve him well."
Morris replaces Mike McPhillips, a Crown Point resident who left the Toll Road oversight job last year to take a position with the Indiana Department of Transportation.
RDA vice chairman Gus Olympidis reacted positively to Morris' appointment Monday, while noting the RDA faces a number of challenges.
"I have the utmost respect for Mayor Morris and look forward to working with him," Olympidis said.
Morris just finished his first four-year term as mayor of LaPorte. He lost a re-election bid to challenger Kathleen Chroback, a Democrat, in the November election.
The six other members of the RDA board are from Lake County and Porter County. Those are the two RDA member counties, which fund the organization with $17.5 million per year in casino money and income tax.
The state kicks in $10 million more per year from Toll Road lease proceeds.
"I think the Toll Road company so far has been focused inwardly on the roadway itself," Morris said. "The Toll Road can be an extremely important economic development tool for Northwest Indiana."
Times staff writer Patrick Guinane contributed to this report.
