MERRILLVILLE | State Rep. Chet Dobis hopes to get the Northwest Indiana legislative delegation to rally around a tax plan for the South Shore extension within the next few weeks.

"We have been working to bring our delegation together and preaching the gospel of this very important project for Northwest Indiana," the Merrillville Democrat told 160 business leaders on Thursday evening.

Dobis told the gathering at the Radisson Hotel he is still working with fellow legislators to determine what the funding source will be and what government body will impose the tax. Both the Senate and House have a Jan. 10 deadline for submitting bills.

About $30 million per year would have to be raised over 10 years to pay for the local share of the project, which would extend the South Shore to Lowell and Valparaiso.

That money, along with $150 million from the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority, can be used to leverage up to $500 million in federal gasoline tax proceeds, U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-Indiana, told the gathering.

"The time to act is now," Visclosky said. "The time for putting off improvements and investments in our economy is long past."

Thursday's event was billed as "An American Evening" by the Northwest Indiana Forum. It was designed to rally support for its Chicago South Shore Connections Campaign, which seeks to get the word out about the economic benefits of the extension.

That support was quick to develop even before the first hors d'oeuvres were served.

NIPSCO President Mark Maassel kicked in a $25,000 donation from his company and pledged to match up to $75,000 in donations from other groups.

"It's to encourage people to plug into this process," Maassel said. "This is important. This is a big deal for this region."

The campaign has also received donations from at least five other companies and organizations, according to Forum Marketing Director Karen Lauerman. It has a fund-raising goal of $870,000.

But the most critical pledge of support, that of the region's legislative delegation, is still being worked on, Dobis said.

"The quicker I can get our legislative delegation to wrap their arms around this, the easier our job will be," he said.

State Sen. Luke Kenley, a Republican fiscal leader from Noblesville, has said that any regional tax hike must withstand a thorough public vetting and have the support of region legislators.