Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Sorted by date Results 101 - 125 of 132
On Feb. 26, the Revenue Committee voted to advance LB 408, as amended by AM 371, on a 7-1 vote. The amended version of the bill would limit the annual increase in property tax askings to no more than 3%, with some exceptions. The sponsor of the bill, Sen. Tom Briese of Albion, commented on its advancement. “Property tax relief requires a multi-pronged approach. One approach must be to place reasonable restrictions on property taxes. And that’s what this bill does.” Briese continued, “This...
The Legislature passed the one-third mark this week in the 90-day legislative session. The Appropriations Committee also presented its preliminary recommendations for the biennial budget. This provides a starting point for discussion of the various budget actions suggested so far. After the Appropriations Committee finishes its committee work, it will develop formal recommendations to be presented to the Legislature by mid to late March, at which time floor debate will take place. Although we...
Governor Pete Ricketts delivered his State of the State address to the Legislature this past week. He highlighted 2021-23 state budget recommendations for senators. This will be his last biennial budget proposal, as his eight years in office will be completed at the end of next year. Ricketts recounted the devastating flood in 2019 and coronavirus pandemic that followed in 2020. He commended Nebraskans for responding in the Nebraska Way - by working together to overcome challenges. The...
Senator Tom Briese, a long-time proponent of property tax relief in the Nebraska Legislature, introduced LR21 CA last week. LR21 CA would require the state to fund all K-12 classroom expenses. In introducing it, Briese said, “For far too long, the State of Nebraska has shirked its obligation to provide for the free education of its students. Instead, the state has continually chosen to pass on the bulk of the cost of public education to its property taxpayers. In fact, Nebraska is nearly last in the country in the percentage of K-12 education f...
The legislative session will begin Wednesday, Jan 6. On that day, newly-elected members will be sworn in and the speaker, chair and vice chair of the Executive Committee and committee chairs will be elected. What happens after that may depend on the status of the pandemic. Under normal circumstances, we would then introduce bills for 10 days, do some preliminary work including adoption of rules and committee assignments, with committee hearings beginning around the second week But this year,...
Holt County Supervisors tackled a light agenda when they met in regular session, Sept. 16. Holt County Treasurer Connie Krotter presented a list of personal property taxes and asked the governing board for approval to strike three parcels from the county’x tax rolls. Parcels #0010003395, 0450000275 and 10000027, totaling $642.96, were removed due to no property to levy in Holt County, perusant to Nebraska state statute. Steve Boshart made the motion, with a second by Don Hahlbeck. The motion car...
Despite a 4% increase in valuation and property tax request, Clearwater village’s tax rate will remain at 50 cents. Board of Trustees members approved the budget and final tax request during a hearing held Monday at the fire hall. The village will request $61,691.59 in property taxes. The village’s operating budget totals $6.955 million. Valuation increased from just over $11,875,227 to $12,338,322. While presenting budget information, accountant Regina Krebs said, “I’m still working on the sew...
The Northeast Community College Board of Governors has given unanimous approval to the institution’s 2020-21 budgets, which include no change in the property tax levy. The action took place Thursday following public hearings during the board’s monthly meeting in Norfolk. The board approved a general operating budget of $49,731,153, a building improvement budget of $17,839,751, and an ADA/Hazardous Material budget of $74,492 with the three tax supported budgets totaling $67,645,396. The general operating budget is funded from property tax...
The current legislative session officially concluded on day 60, which was Thursday, Aug. 13. We concluded the session by hearing remarks from the six term limited and outgoing senators and passing several bills through final reading. One bill we passed was LB 1107, a comprehensive package of property tax relief and business incentives. The focus on property tax reform this past session began as the Revenue Committee’s LB 974. It was a combination of foundation aid for all school districts in N...
Emotions ran high again this week, as legislators tried to complete their priorities during the last few days of this legislative session. As I had hoped, the Revenue Committee advanced a package that joined property tax relief, business tax incentives and a major project at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. This proposal was contained in a compromise amendment to LB 1107, a placeholder bill introduced by the Speaker of the Legislature, Sen. Jim Scheer of Norfolk. The current Property T...
Twenty-nine-forty – an accounting code that identifies an Antelope County Law Enforcement Center fund – has become a familiar term during Antelope County commissioner dialog, as well as a point of contention between county officials. The “special revenue” account was formed after the Law Enforcement Center went into operation in 2015. In the ensuing years, the balance in the account has grown to more than $400,000 from fees charged for housing prisoners from other counties and law enforcement services provided to several Antelope County...
KATIE ANDERSON Nebraska News Service With the summer session less than three weeks away, Nebraska Legislature's leaders say there are important tax and revenue topics to be debated and hope to keep everyone safe inside the Capitol. When the 17-day session reconvenes July 20, changes most notable to the public will be how the George W. Norris Legislative Chamber is set up and how it will function. Due to COVID-19, the Legislature is taking safety precautions for senators' return. "The speaker...
KATIE ANDERSON Nebraska News Service Property tax relief is on the agenda for the 17-day legislative session later this month, but opponents argue that the proposed property tax relief plan will hinder school district spending and taxing authority. State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, chairwoman of the revenue committee, is leading the charge to get a property tax relief package passed when the Legislature resumes on July 20. “We have a property tax crisis more severe now in agriculture but moving toward suburbia,” Linehan said. “If you b...
The Legislature was called back into session March 23 to pass emergency funding relating to the spread of coronavirus. An amendment was added to LB 1198, a bill that originally sought to appropriate funding for the restoration of doors to the legislative chamber. LB 1198 had already received first-round approval. An amendment offered by the chair of the Appropriations Committee, Sen. John Stinner, struck the original content of the bill and replaced it with an appropriation of $83.6 million from...
For the first time since 2014, agricultural land values in Nebraska have increased. According to preliminary results from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Farm Real estate Market Survey, ag land values increased 3% over last year's statewide average of $2,650 per acre. The increase is the first year-to-year jump in price since land values peaked at $3,315 per acre in 2014. Limited supply of land for sale, strong demand for purchases and disaster assistance payments from the last year drove...
The Nebraska Economic Forecasting Advisory Board met Feb. 28, to review their forecast for the current and next fiscal years. The board increased the previous forecast by $115 million for fiscal year 2019-20 and by $25 million for fiscal year 2020-21, for a total increase of $140 million over the two-year period. Most of the increase can be attributed to year-to-date actual receipts, as revenues from November through February were $111 million above the October forecast. The $115 million...
In the town halls I’ve held across the 41st district, as well as visits at the Capitol in Lincoln, many of you have brought up housing. Rural workforce housing is among the top issues holding Nebraska back from our true economic potential. Certainly, the high burden of property taxes across Nebraska is having a negative impact on the availability of rural housing: not only are property taxes high in our small towns, but the ripple effects of high property taxes on the economy are felt hard in r...
One of the bills that I introduced this session was LB 770. It authorizes a free lifetime park permit for disabled veterans. This past week, LB 770 was advanced from the Natural Resources Committee on an 8-0 vote. I designated it as my priority bill and the Legislature gave it first-round approval on a 38-0 vote. Under LB 770, a veteran would be eligible for the free permit if they are a Nebraska resident, honorably discharged, and rated 50% or more service-connected disabled or 100% disabled, n...
The Revenue Committee’s property tax/education funding reform bill, LB 974, was brought out of committee on a 6-2 vote last week. LB 974 will inject additional state dollars into education funding. By the third year of implementation, it will provide more than $200 million per year in additional funding to our schools to provide property tax relief for hard working Nebraskans. It will accomplish this by requiring the state to provide over $2,000 per student in foundation aid by that third y...
The Nebraska Department of Revenue, Property Assessment Division reminds property owners that the Nebraska Homestead Exemption Application, Form 458, must be filed with their county assessor between Feb. 3 and June 30. Homestead exemption provides relief from property taxes by exempting all or a portion of the taxable value of the residence. The State of Nebraska reimburses counties and other governmental subdivisions for the property taxes lost due to homestead exemptions. Homestead exemption is available to: • Persons over the age of 65; ...
Almost 500 new bills were introduced by members of the Legislature during the first 10 days of the legislative session. Each proposed legislation will have a public hearing before the relevant committee. The public hearing process has already started and will continue through February. I introduced five bills this year. The first three will have public hearings next week before the Natural Resources Committee and the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee. LB 769 requires that each...
Wednesday, Jan. 8 marked the first day of the One Hundred Sixth Legislature, second session. This also marks the beginning of the second year that I am serving as the representative of the 40th Legislative District. The 40th district covers the counties of Boyd, Cedar, Dixon, Holt, Knox and Rock. Legislative sessions in even-numbered years last for 60 days. During the short session, senators will make any necessary adjustments to the two-year budget that was developed during the 90-day session...
Phase one: complete. With last week's successful passage of the Summerland school bond, board of education members from Clearwater, Ewing and Orchard planned to meet Wednesday, Nov. 20, in Ewing, to start phase two of the consolidation and building processes. Ewing Principal Greg Appleby said, "We have a lengthy agenda to discuss a number of items, including policy." Dale Martin, superintendent of Nebraska Unified District #1, which includes Clearwater and Orchard, said a number of items need...
Phase one: complete. With Tuesday's successful passage of the Summerland school bond, board of education members from Clearwater, Ewing and Orchard plan to meet Wednesday, Nov. 20, in Ewing, to start phase two of the consolidation and building processes. Ewing Principal Greg Appleby said, "We have a lengthy agenda to discuss a number of items, including policy." Dale Martin, superintendent of Nebraska Unified District #1, which includes Clearwater and Orchard, said a number of items need to be...
Dean Smith of Brunswick presided over his first meeting as chairman of the Antelope County commissioners last Tuesday, moving to the position from vice chairman after the former chair was removed from office. Two new commissioners had not yet been appointed, leaving Smith, Charlie Henery and Eli Jacob as seated board members to take care of business. The board addressed issues related to a road included in the Thunderhead wind farm road-use agreement. Listed on the agenda under the road...
