Former Dem Chair gets rich off the poor as Portage Township Trustee

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BEND, Ind. — REAL News Michiana has learned the new Portage Township Trustee, former St. Joseph County Democrat Party Chair Jason Critchlow, was able to get himself a massive raise at the taxpayer’s expense. According to records obtained through Indiana Gateway, Critchlow is now being paid $80,000/year (up from $60,000 in 2023) in his position as Township Trustee — which is nearly $25,000 more than the next Township Trustee in St. Joseph County. It turns out, Critchlow has also used the office to line the pockets of Democrat allies, including failed County Clerk candidate Lana Cleary. It appears Critchlow hired Cleary as the “Trustee Assistant” at $40,000 — then changed the title of the position and gave her a salary of $60,000/year as a “Chief Deputy Trustee” — She is currently being paid more than any of the other 10 Township Trustees the county.

Here’s a breakdown of Township Trustee salaries in St. Joseph County according to records obtained through Indiana Gateway:

• Portage Township: $80,000
• Penn Township: $56,925
• Center Township: $45,000
• Harris Township: $40,000
• Union Township: $35,000
• Green Township: $22,000
• Olive Township: $20,000
• Lincoln Township: $19,920
• Liberty Township: $17,878
• German Township: $17,600
• Madison Township: $14,000

TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE POOR

It turns out, Critchlow is doing all of this spending on himself and his friends in one of the poorest townships in St. Joseph County. According to census data from 2022, 22.5% of the Portage Township population lives in poverty. The per-capita income of Critchlow’s constituents is approximately $28,000/year. Critchlow is paying himself nearly 3X that amount using constituent money.

BUDGET EXPLOSION

In just one year, Critchlow appears to have completely inflated the budget of his office. In 2023, Portage Township’s total budget sat at $256,268. This year, the budget has exploded to $386,285 — an increase of 51%.

The township is responsible for offering assistance to residents who are having trouble paying things like utility bills. And, while poverty assistance has increased in the office, that money is not part of the total budget listed above. The assistance in 2023 was at $702,800. For 2024, it’s increased by 29% to $905,035.

Critchlow has been involved in St. Joseph County Democrat politics for years. He is the former Chairman of the SJC Democrat Party. He also ran for Mayor of South Bend in 2019, but lost in a primary to current Mayor James Mueller.

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