Hammond mayor announces plan to appeal rate hike

The mayor of Hammond, Indiana Thursday announced his plan to appeal a decision by NIPSCO to raise electric rates nearly 17 percent.

Mayor Thomas McDermott said he will go all the way to Supreme Court if needed.

This is NIPSCO's first major electric rate hike in more than two decades.

Hammond and LaPorte County tried to fight the increase, but it was approved by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission.

Last month, state regulators predicted the increase would be 10 percent.