At Monday night's Hammond City Council meeting, a majority of the city council voted to fund the Hammond Health Department with casino gaming money. Voting in favor of this funding was Councilman Homero "Chico" Hinojosa, Councilwoman Kim Poland, Councilman Anthony Higgs, Councilman Robert Markovich and Councilwoman Joann Matanovich. Voting against the funding were Councilman Dan Repay, Councilman Mark Kalwinski, and Councilwoman Kathy Pucalik. Councilman Al Salinas was absent from Monday night's council meeting and did not vote.
However, Mayor McDermott has said he will veto any measure to keep the health department under local control. It would take six votes from the city council to override the mayor's veto.
Councilman Hinojosa had approached the mayor about keeping the city's health department intact until the whole issue could be resolved because the county does not have a clearcut plan on
taking over the city's health department.
At the present time, the Lake County Health Department is offering limited services to Hammond residents. Susan Best, Lake County Health Commissioner, has made it known that Hammond will not receive any additional services. Councilman Hinojosa has said he will continue the fight to keep the city's health department because it provides services the county will not. Currently, there are 190 children in Hammond that are not attending school because they are not inoculated.