By SHAWN MCGRATH —LaPorte Herald-Argus reporter/photographer

LAPORTE — LaPorte and Elkhart counties are in a tug-of-war and St. Joseph County is the prize.

LaPorte County and Elkhart County each wants St. Joseph County to share its time zone — Central for LaPorte and Eastern for Elkhart — but there’s not much room for compromise, both claiming close economic ties.

Tuesday, the LaPorte County Commission unanimously approved a resolution supporting St. Joseph County’s petition to switch to Central time.

“We more than welcome St. Joseph County being part of our time zone because of the number of people that commute and do business in LaPorte County,” commission President Marlow Harmon said.

The commission’s resolution cites LaPorte County’s close economic ties to South Bend as the main reason for the switch.

About 3,250 LaPorte County residents commute to St. Joseph County, and about 1,100 St. Joseph County residents commute here, Harmon said, citing figures from the Michiana Area Council of Governments.

But the number of commuters going from St. Joseph County to Elkhart County is much higher, close to 11,000, according to the St. Joseph County Commission’s petition to change time zones.

Commissioner Barb Huston said the South Shore Railroad, with its tracks starting in South Bend, and the New Prairie School Corp. district split between LaPorte and St. Joseph counties, trump any Elkhart County claim.

Since Elkhart County officials didn’t petition the U.S. Department of Transportation for a time zone change, it will remain on Eastern time.

The transportation department ultimately decides any time zone change. Both the South Bend and Mishawaka city councils have approved resolutions supporting a switch to Central time.

But two U.S. congressmen from northern Indiana have voiced their support for St. Joseph and Elkhart counties remaining together in the same time zone.

Without committing to a time zone choice, U.S. Rep. Chris Chocola, R-2nd district, also supports the counties staying unified, according to a spokesman.

“He has said repeatedly that he thinks that Elkhart and St. Joe should be on the same time zone, whatever that should be,” said Rob Vernon, a spokesman for Chocola.

U.S. Rep. Mark Souder, R-3rd District, sent a letter dated Monday to the U.S. secretary of transportation opposing St. Joseph County’s petition to switch time zones.

“It makes no sense for St. Joseph County to stick out as a Central time zone island, surrounded by a sea of Eastern time zone,” Souder wrote. “While the city of South Bend certainly maintains ties to Chicago, they dwarf in comparison to the economic, social and family ties going north, east and south.

“On a personal note, I lived in South Bend while attending the University of Notre Dame. My wife is a South Bend native, and her family operated a small chain of grocery stores in South Bend for many years. My close ties to the region lead me to believe that there is neither unanimous nor overwhelming support for moving St. Joseph County in the Central time zone among residents, business leaders, media, churches, or any other major group.”
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