PORTAGE | Standing inside the pavilion at Portage Lakefront Park on Monday afternoon, officials from five northern Porter County communities called on the Porter County Council to reverse its decision to pull out of the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority.

The RDA, they said, provides opportunities for Porter County in improving quality of life, boosting economic development and providing jobs, that might not otherwise be available.

The new park -- constructed with $9 million in RDA funding -- is just one example of what the RDA has done for Porter County, they said.

"This is not only a benefit to Portage, but to all of Porter County," said Portage Mayor Olga Velazquez, referencing the park as a quality-of-life amenity that helps attract businesses to the county and, in turn, provides long-term jobs. National Park Service statistics indicate that for every $1 spent in development at a park, $4 is brought to the area by visitors.

"Economic development happens in cities. That's where quality of life is important," said Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas, adding it is a "modest investment" equal to about $2 per month per resident. Valparaiso has received $1.8 million for its Chicago Dash program, which Costas said fits well within the primary goals of the RDA by providing transportation to Chicago and enabling residents to "connect to jobs."

Costas also said that regional development and vision can "achieve greater successes than acting alone."

For T. Clifford Fleming, a lifelong Northwest Indiana resident and Burns Harbor Town Council member, the RDA provides "significant capital and expertise to have excellent projects built" in the region. Those projects not only improve quality of life, but also provide the amenities that keep the region's children in Northwest Indiana once they become adults.

"I like the RDA being the focal point. They have the expertise to make sure the dollars are spent wisely," said Fleming, whose town received a $50,000 grant from the RDA to study a connection to the Marquette Trail.

Porter Town Council President Michele Bollinger, whose town is submitting an application for $19 million in RDA funds, said the bipartisan group is standing behind the RDA because of the amenities it can help fund.

Chesterton Town Manager Bernie Doyle joined the group, saying his Town Council also is asking the County Council to reconsider its decision.