VALPARAISO | County officials are hoping to collect the first round of property taxes during the first week of September and the second batch in November.

But further delays in the bogged down process could force the county to make the unusual move of conducting a single collection this year, Porter County Treasurer James Murphy said.

"I keep hoping for the best," he said.

The plan is to provide the state this week with the certified assessed values of property in the county, said Lindy Wilson, executive assistant to Porter County Auditor James Kopp.

Murphy said it will take about a month for the state to complete the approval process and at least another month to prepare the first round of tax bills.

Delays could force a single collection in November, he said, which would be first time that has occurred in his 26 years of working for the county.

In hopes of avoiding delays again next year, the Porter County Council is expected to go forward this evening with the purchase of software for the county auditor and the 12 township assessors.

The $197,420 purchase from casino proceeds was at first opposed by Porter County Assessor John Scott, who called the move illegal.

But Scott said Monday he will use the software, though he will hold the council responsible for any problems.

"I don't think I should be responsible for that," he said.

The council opted to purchase the software from Hamer Enterprises after learning it was less expensive than the firm chosen by Scott and was the same software company chosen by the county auditor and treasurer.