CROWN POINT | A Lake County official under fire for fueling his personal car at public expense and letting his son use a county-owned vehicle wants to join a government ethics commission.

Lake County Surveyor George Van Til is asking the County Council to pay $500 for him to join the Shared Ethics Advisory Commission.

Council Councilman Thomas O'Donnell, D-Dyer, said County Council members agreed informally Thursday they would not give Van Til any new money for the venture. "He will have to fund it from his own budget."

The commission is the outgrowth of a two-year-old effort by Crown Point, Highland and Munster town officials to provide training and continuing education for local government personnel. It was formed as a response to scandals that arose regarding the indictment and conviction of dozens of local officials on public corruption charges.

Van Til's request comes one week after his personal sport utility vehicle was fueled from gasoline pumps designated solely for county-owned vehicles and one month after he allowed his son to drive a new county-owned truck to school.

Lake County Commissioner Gerry Scheub, D-Schererville, has said both were violations of county policy.

Van Til has said lending the truck to his son was a mistake in judgment and that the gas pump incident was a misunderstanding compounded by a lack of posted rules about pump use.

Elaine Hough, a secretary for Van Til, states in a letter requesting the money that the commission is inviting county officials such as Van Til to participate in ethics training.

"George thinks involvement in this commission could be beneficial to our doing things right while doing things right to further the professionalism of the office he is proud of," she states.