CROWN POINT | Lake County Commissioners are prepared to revoke their $1.8 million no-bid contract to a politically connected Hobart medical firm, the county attorney said Wednesday.

County Attorney John Dull said two of three commissioners will withdraw their previous votes to award Med-Staff of Hobart medical work in the Lake County Jail if Nashville, Tenn.-based Correct Care Solutions rescinds its threat to cut off mental health services in the jail.

CCS announced this week it would stop evaluation and treatment of jail inmates after May 4 for being denied the opportunity to bid on the medical contract given to Med-Staff by commissioners.

Lake County Sheriff Rogelio "Roy" Dominguez said CCS's threatened departure would put jail inmates in jeopardy. CCS was hired last year because the county faces litigation over inmate suicides. Five inmates have committed suicide within the past three years.

The sheriff also denounced last week's commissioners vote as counter to the Good Government Initiative and said he was preparing to sue commissioners on grounds they violated the state's Open Door law.

Commissioners said last week they were satisfied with the work of Med-Staff, owned by the family of former Hobart Mayor Robert Malizzo. The firm has been providing basic medical care to inmates since July 2007.

The sheriff said he had no complaints with the service Malizzo's firm provided, but he supported the principal of competitive bidding.

The commissioners award of the jail medical contract was shaping up to be a political issue in the May 6 Democratic primary for Commissioners Fran DuPey, D-Hammond, and Gerry Scheub, D-Hammond, who face opposition in their run for re-election.

Their primary election challengers echoed the sheriff's complaint.

Dull said DuPey and Scheub agreed to rescind their votes Wednesday afternoon, but Commissioner Roosevelt Allen, D-Gary, wasn't in favor or reopening the jail medical contract and would rather find a local mental-health provider.

Dull said commissioners acknowledge they should not have voted to award the contract March 12 because the agenda for their meeting didn't give notice for such a vote.

He said if CCS will withdraw its termination notice, commissioners will publish a 48-page bid proposal and specifications vendors would need to submit competitive bids.