Ken Layton, Kenny as he is widely known, has spent 46 years of his life in public service. He will officially retire at the end of this year, when he completes a term as La Porte County Commissioner.
Layton won’t miss the estimated 500 plus pancake breakfasts he’s attended while running for office over the years, admitting that he hates pancakes. But he will never completely step away from helping the communities and people of La Porte County in whatever way he can.
A native of Otis, Layton attended Westville Public Schools and graduated in 1964. He was profoundly affected by high school coach Ray Cox, a man he admired. Cox went on to serve as Athletic Director for La Porte.
“He was a driving force in all of our lives,” Layton said. “He was rock solid and made you want to perform above and beyond your capabilities.”
As a teenage summer employee working for the Indiana Toll Road, Layton was also impressed by the law enforcement officers he encountered, including Indiana State Police troopers.
By a twist of fate, Layton was assigned to the military police as an Army solider. He had been attending Indiana University Northwest when he got drafted and served two years in Vietnam. At the time he entered the Army, he and his wife Sue were expecting their first child.
After two years in the military, Layton began his career with the La Porte County Sheriff’s Department in 1968, where he remained for nearly 30 years. He was elected twice to the office of Sheriff, serving from 1987 to 1995.
“The Sheriff’s Department was my life,” he said. “Everything centered and focused around it. It was a tremendous experience. A lot of life’s lessons were learned there and I worked with great people.”
In 1997, Ken was elected Auditor of La Porte County and served two terms. He considers this the second greatest work experience he’s had and credits former Auditor Teresa Shuter for making it one. Layton and Shuter worked closely together in the Auditor’s Office and during the term he served as La Porte County Treasurer, at the height of the property tax assessment controversies.
Layton was elected to his current position as commissioner in 2009. He considers himself blessed to have been entrusted with these positions.
“I’ve tried very hard to do the right thing for everyone,” he said. “It’s impossible to make everyone happy. You have to earn respect – you can’t demand it. You do that by treating people respectfully, even if you don’t like them.”
A measure of Layton’s success is the fact that, as a Republican, he continues to be elected in a county dominated by Democrats. Even people he put in jail decades ago greet him cordially when they see him.
Layton’s life hasn’t been a cake walk. In addition to their own children, Troy and Tracy, he and Sue helped raise three of his sister-in-law’s children. When Sue passed away in 2007, he alternated between being a recluse and drowning his sorrows at taverns. A turning point came when, while he was the county auditor, he met his present wife, Rita, who was serving as the auditor in a neighboring county.
The couple enjoys participating as members of the motorcycle group Guardian Riders of Michigan City, made up of veterans who raise funds for charitable organizations. Layton also belongs to the local chapter of the national Blue Knights motorcycle group, made up of active and retired police officers. It’s a way of combining service with pleasure.
Since June, the Laytons have taken two motorcycle trips and are looking forward to visiting Orange Beach, Alabama in November.
“It’s the first time I’ve ever taken three weeks of vacation in the same year,” Layton said. “I’ve never not worked since I was 13 years old.”
And, after December, he promises to be available as an informal consultant to anyone in county government who asks for assistance.
Clearly, Kenny Layton is the embodiment of the self-effacing, dedicated, highly-respected and capable public servant. His life has truly made a difference in La Porte County.