Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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PROCEEDINGS VILLAGE OF PAGE, NEBRASKA April 8, 2024 The regular monthly meeting of the Village Board of Page was held Monday, April 8, 2024, at the village office. This meeting was conducted in compliance with the Nebraska Open Meetings Act and the Open Meeting Laws are posted at the village office. Chair Linquist called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. Trustees VanEvery, Tyrrell, Campbell and Leichleiter present. Also present: Cora Calkins. Absent: None. Motion by Campbell, second by Tyrrell: Approve minutes of the March 11, 2024, regular...
Although the Legislature was only in session for three days this week, senators were productive in moving legislation to Final Reading. This year, there was not enough time to take up every bill that was sitting on General File due to the time a bill must lay over for review by the Revisor’s Office. Much of the remaining time was spent on legislation that was on Select File or Final Reading. After the 59th day, the Legislature will be in recess for a few days to allow the governor to sign or v...
"I believe I have the votes." Those six words have become the curse of the Nebraska Legislature. The buzzkill. The harbinger of failure. Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha learned that on Day 56 of the 60-day session when her Sports and Spaces Act did little more than use up four hours of time when an attempt to end the opponent's filibuster fell two votes short. The measure fell off the agenda for good this year. Likewise, a last-ditch attempt to return Nebraska presidential elections to a...
The beginning of April brings us closer to the end of this year’s legislative session. There are many bills still left to debate and little time to consider all of the priority bills brought forward this year. The week began with the resumption of debate on the governor’s proposed property tax relief package: LB388 and LB1331. LB388 initially proposed an up-to-1% increase of the sales tax, from the current rate of 5.5% to possibly as high as 6.5%, and raising taxes and eliminating tax exe...
It's easy to understand but hard to remember that the one task of the Nebraska Legislature is to pass a balanced budget during the 90-day session and to make adjustments to and pass that budget again in the 60-day session. Mission accomplished again by the 2024 Legislature, which has a little more than a week of session left. The simple task often gets lost in the shadow of high-profile issues, such as this year's struggle to find a solution for skyrocketing property taxes. With all eyes on...
Last week, the Legislature gave final round approval to the two mid-biennium budget adjustment bills: LB1412 and LB1413. The two bills will increase the state budget by 2.7% in this two-year period, which is up from the 2.3% approved last year. The primary factor for this growth is due to an additional $94.1 million increase in state aid to schools, which accounts for actual education spending now that LB583 has taken effect. LB583 was passed last year as a revision to the TEEOSA school-funding...
The Nebraska Economic Forecasting Advisory Board met on Feb. 29, to review the forecast for the current fiscal year and the next fiscal year. The board increased the previous forecast for fiscal year 2023-2024 by $575 million and decreased the previous forecast for fiscal year 2024-2025 by $525 million, for a total net increase of $50 million over the two-year period. Most of the increase can be attributed to increased receipts from corporate income taxes relative to individual income taxes sinc...
Ewing Village Board of Trustees heard updates about the duplex project, under construction by Thramer Construction. Carla Kimball, executive director of the Central Nebraska Economic Development District, said items were being gathered for the rental of the property. "To make it cash flow, rental will need to be $625 per month, per unit," Kimball said. "More may be charged, but it depends on their income." Insurance estimates run $4,500. Kimball anticipates taxes on the units will be $2,500...
This week saw the Legislature in session for only three days to conclude public hearings on more than 600 bills and resolutions introduced this year. It is also at this point in the legislative session when only bills with priority status make the agenda. Every senator is authorized to designate one bill as his or her personal priority bill. Committees are allowed to select two bills, while the speaker of the Legislature can designate up to 25 bills as speaker priority bills. Since committees...
Three of the four kids in my family were born on the same day in December over a span of 14 years. The "other" one was born on March 1. To appease her, my older sister and brother and I told the March-born she was special because she shared a birthday with the State of Nebraska! (I'm pretty sure it didn't work.) So, happy belated 157th birthday Nebraska. And happy 82nd to my late sister. Too much cake and party hats? Where are we now? Let's take a look. A is for agriculture. Still more counties...
With the short session of the Nebraska Legislature slightly more than half over, repeat after me: When it comes to taxation, it's all about whose ox is getting gored. The governor wants a 40% reduction in property taxes by the end of the year. I'm in! Cut me a check. Sorry. That's not how this works. The cuts will be made and somehow credited to your tax bill by the county, which will somehow find a way to use it up before you see it. Just watch. Even more sorry. The state must pay for the...
Holt County Supervisors learned the district probation office needs more space. Tara Sprigler Price, district probation officer, addressed supervisors, Jan. 31, when the board met in O'Neill. If the veterans' office moves to the former O'Neill school administration building, Price would like to expand to the current veterans' office in the annex."I have a new officer I've hired who's currently in training and I don't physically have an office for him to go to here," Price said. The new officer...
Dear fellow citizens of Holt County, For the past months, the Nebraska Association of County Officials has been an integral part of Gov. Pillen’s tax working group, along with many other entities, state senators, Pillen and his key staff, and other stakeholders such as the cities, Farm Bureau and the realtors.. We have had many meetings striving to craft Nebraska tax policy, to cut taxes, to more equitably define policy and to ensure we have the revenue necessary to provide essential services to our citizens. LB 1067, introduced by State S...
I was not shocked, just disappointed when Governor Jim Pillen announced that he was going to reduce Nebraska's collective property taxes by $2 billion this year, somehow. Imagine that. In a short session in what also happens to be an election year, but without a specific plan, the first-term Republican is going to achieve a 40% property tax reduction in a single year. "I'm committed. I'm all in. The problem has to be solved," he said. As he has before, he talked again about a hard cap on local...
On Thursday of this past week, Governor Pillen delivered his State of the State address. The governor began his speech by thanking members of law enforcement, first responders and road crews who have worked countless hours in recent days in the brutal winter weather conditions across the state. He next touched on his priorities for this year, which included property tax relief, reducing the regulatory burden of state government and protecting Nebraska from foreign adversaries. He lent support to...
The chickens are coming home to roost. Several tax watchdog groups say the Legislature, at the behest of the governor, has gone overboard in depleting state revenue by earmarking too much for property tax relief. But Governor Jim Pillen debunks the reports. He said they came up with different numbers than he did. Here's the rub. He hasn't read the reports. Let that sink in for a minute. Not unlike the reports on higher than acceptable levels of nitrates in the groundwater near his pig farms. He...
Kathy Mesner has a word for the potential fallout from a property valuation dispute in Lancaster County. Catastrophic. "I don't think it's too much to say it may be catastrophic not only in terms of bankrupting projects ... but displacing all these low-income households across the state," said Mesner, an attorney and president of Central City-based Mesner Development Co. In the past year, a narrow disagreement on how to value 21 Lincoln-area properties has morphed into a court fight over a...
"For it's a long, long while from May to December But the days grow short when you reach September And the autumn weather turns the leaves to flame..." -- September Song I decided it was time to get out of the office and go see Nebraska. It's been a post-pandemic while since I have done so. I jumped at the chance to ride to Chadron with a friend with numerous stops along the way. Call it a visual checkup to see how the Cornhusker State is holding up amid almost daily reports of increasing...
PROCEEDINGS FOR BUDGET HEARING, TAX REQUEST HEARING, REGULAR MEETING VILLAGE OF CLEARWATER BOARD OF TRUSTEES September 11, 2023 The board of trustees of the Village of Clearwater met for a budget hearing Monday, Sept. 11, at 7 p.m., in the fire hall meeting room. Hearing opened at 7 p.m. Notice of hearing was given in advance by publication in "Summerland Advocate-Messenger," was posted at US Post Office in Clearwater, Clearwater Market and Cornerstone Bank-Clearwater and was given to board members prior to meeting. Public was informed of...
It’s a case if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it. “And you’ll never get it back,” Summerland Superintendent Kyle Finke said while discussing the board’s decision to raise the district’s tax asking authority by up to 7%. The agenda action item is the result of the recent enactment of LB243, known as the School District Property Tax Limitation Act. For the upcoming fiscal year, the act limits growth at 3%. The act creates a default rule which caps the magnitude of a school district’s prop...
During the interim, I have talked to many constituents who had questions regarding a bill enacted by the Legislature earlier this year: LB583. LB583 makes adjustments to the Tax Equity and Educational Opportunities Support Act formula for state aid to Nebraska's public schools. As reported in the Unicameral Update, "Under LB583, introduced by Bellevue Sen. Rita Sanders at the request of Gov. Jim Pillen, the state will pay public school districts $1,500 in foundation aid per student beginning...
Grassroots government is thriving in Nebraska. There are eight petitions circulating with hopes of making the 2024 General Election ballot, according to Secretary of State Bob Evnen. The action is guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which gives people the right to “petition the government for a redress of grievances.” From the old familiar legalizing medical marijuana to an exemption of grocery items from sales tax, various groups or individuals are seeking the signatures of registered voters to support their cau...
PROCEEDINGS VILLAGE OF PAGE July 10, 2023 The regular monthly meeting of the Village Board of Page was held Monday, July 10, 2023, at the village office. This meeting was conducted in compliance with the Nebraska Open Meetings Act and the Open Meeting Laws are posted at the Village Office. Chair Linquist called the meeting to order at 7:04 p.m. Trustees VanEvery and Leichleiter present. Also present: Mike Christensen and Cora Calkins. Absent: Tyrrell and Bartak. Motion by VanEvery, second by Leichleiter, to approve minutes of the June 12,...
Agriculture, broadband connectivity and tax savings were key topics addressed during Gov. Jim Pillen's town hall meeting, June 28, in O'Neill. Pillen opened by telling the crowd of approximately 80 that his team strives to work for "all Nebraskans. "I can't stand politics. I can't stand politicians," the governor said. "The privilege I had in the first six months, it is unbelievable how many incredible public servants we have serving the state of Nebraska." One of Pillen's goals has been to...
The new governor says, jubilantly, the honeymoon cruise with the Nebraska Legislature was a huge success. Sorry governor, I'm seeing flags. Red flags. The cheering I hear is, "See you in court!" So, let's wait until the lawsuits are filed and the petition drives are all launched before we get too excited. In a "report card" from his office, Governor Jim Pillen said he was elected to office "with a clear mandate to make transformational change in the areas most important to our future: our kids;...
