Avon Township assessor sued

Former Lake County Board member Larry Leafblad this week filed a civil suit against Avon Township Assessor Rick Dishman, alleging he wrongfully submitted mileage, per diem and expense vouchers seeking reimbursement for personal use of his own vehicle and travel expenses unrelated to his job.

Attorney Robert Long filed the lawsuit on behalf of Leafblad in Lake County circuit court. Leafblad, a longtime critic of assessors and the real-estate assessment process, acknowledged he filed the complaint before going to police or the state's attorney's office with his concerns.

Representatives of the state's attorney's office said Leafblad should have gone to police if he had evidence of criminal conduct.

Dishman, who is up for election next month and is being challenged, called the lawsuit "ridiculous" and said it was politically motivated.