Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Sorted by date Results 80 - 104 of 110
After a three-month break, the Legislature convened Wednesday, Jan. 5, to begin the 107th legislative session, second session. Senators were called into special session in September to complete the redistricting process, based on new census data. Legislative District #40 no longer contains Boyd or Rock counties. Rock and Boyd counties are now part of Legislative District #43, represented by Sen. Tom Brewer. Legislative District #40 also lost the southern portion of Dixon County, which will be...
Based on the county's comprehensive plan, Holt County supervisors denied a perpetual wetland reserve easement, for Melvin Knox's Bar K Bar , LLC, during a Dec. 16 public hearing, at the courthouse in O'Neill. Supervisor Doug Frahm made the motion, which passed unanimously. Supervisor Dustin Breiner was absent. The hearing, which lasted more than an hour, was a required step, following a Dec. 13 public hearing in front of the county's planning and zoning board. That board voted 6-3 in favor of...
The Village of Clearwater will receive $221,000 from the Nebraska Affordable Housing Trust Fund to develop a housing project. Notification was received Sept. 9, from the Nebraska Department of Economic Development. Approximately $12.8 million in awards will be presented in the 2021 cycle. CORE Development, Inc., will receive $315,000 in funds. Clearwater's application, for construction of a duplex, was submitted in April. The CORE project will be used for owner-occupied rehabilitation of 12...
The speaker of the Legislature has announced that senators will complete their work a few days early, adjourning sine die on May 27 rather than June 10. This is partially due to the many late nights that were worked in order to complete our business and knowing we will be meeting again in a couple months. Every 10 years, the Legislature must complete the redistricting process to reflect population changes after the U.S. Census is complete. Due to the pandemic, states didn’t get the census d...
The Legislature debated several of my bills last week. On Tuesday afternoon, we debated my amendment to my LB 561, a bill to further define and implement the voter-approved initiative on casino gaming at racetracks. As 70% of the tax revenue derived from these casinos is dedicated to property tax relief, it is important to get this done right. Gambling is a divisive issue in our Legislature and the debate reflected that. After the question was divided on the issue of electronic keno, we spent a...
The Appropriations Committee advanced their finalized recommendations for the Fiscal Year 2021-22 and 2022-23 biennial budget to the full Legislature. First-round debate took place this past week and all bills were advanced unanimously except LB383, dealing with capital construction. Under the $9.7 billion biennial budget proposal, the two-year average estimated revenue growth is 3.0%, whereas the two-year average growth in spending is just 1.6%. The committee was able to control the growth of spending due to a higher federal match for...
PROCEEDINGS - ANTELOPE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Neligh, Nebraska April 6, 2021 Chairman opened meeting. Notice of meeting published as required by statute. Approved Agenda. Approved minutes of the March 9, 2021 BOC Meeting. Correspondence was reviewed. Quarterly jail inspection. Approved two improvement grants and one promotional grant. Made appointment to Antelope County Visitors Committee. Approved warranty extension on camera equipment. Approved Catastrophic Medical Plan. Clerk of the District Court March fee feport. Zoning...
GRACE GORENFLO Nebraska News Service Nearly 100 tax-related bills have been introduced this legislative session, with topics ranging from selling alcohol at farmers markets to excluding retired military from state income tax. Chair of the Revenue Committee Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn said the committee has a package of sales tax bills and a package of income tax bills it is working to pass this session. The committee’s two priority bills, LB432 and LB595, will each have several other tax bills amended into them after hearings have c...
The work of the Legislature is now about getting bills to the floor for debate by the entire body. And that generally means a priority designation. Priority bills, one per senator, two per committee and twenty-five for the speaker, have now been designated. Senator Geist prioritized my LB 408, which provides for a 3 percent limit on annual increases in property tax askings. It may be debated on the floor of the legislature next week. Senator Slama prioritized my LB 139, which provides a measure...
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...
PROCEEDINGS VILLAGE OF CLEARWATER BOARD OF TRUSTEES DECEMBER 2020 The Board of Trustees of the Village of Clearwater met in regular session Monday, Dec. 14, 2020, at 7 p.m., in the Fire Hall meeting room. Regular meeting was opened at 7:02 p.m. Notice of meeting was given in advance by publication in Summerland Advocate-Messenger and notice was given to chairman and village board members prior to meeting. Public was informed of location of Open Meeting Act poster. Present: Jay Snider, Kevin Filsinger, Steve Stearns and Paul Horman. Absent:...
On May 12, the community of Ewing overwhelmingly agreed that they are ready for positive change. During the primary election, the citizens proved that by passing an economic development program and .05% percent sales and use tax by a margin of 109 for and 29 against. Ewing is now in a position to be more competitive in attracting new business and people to the community, as well as support the established businesses currently located in Ewing. This money will be used for low-interest loans and grants available to all qualifying businesses....
Holt County Supervisors faced a Shakespearean-like conundrum during the group’s Aug. 31 meeting at the Holt County Courthouse. To include $2.5 million, monies promised by TC Energy for a road-use agreement, or not to include that amount in the upcoming road and bridge budget, dominated more than an hour of discussion. Without payment in hand, the proposed levy would cost taxpayers an additional eight pennies, jumping to 36.25 cents, a 31% increase. In the end, supervisors agreed to pursue a $...
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...
Steph Allen has already weathered one unimaginable crisis, the nightmare scenario that struck Grand Island and her new Teaching Tree childcare center this spring. She had to close the Teaching Tree for eight weeks as the COVID pandemic hit Hall County earlier and harder than almost any other spot in Nebraska. When she reopened in June, her enrollment and revenue plunged by 40%. It’s only now that enrollment is back up and daily operations are starting to feel somewhat normal. The good news is that both Steph and her high-quality child care c...
As the 2020-2021 fiscal year neared its second month, Antelope County leaders started their annual budget work with a special workshop meeting last week at the courthouse in Neligh. The budget must be submitted to the state by Sept. 20, with a public hearing required prior to its adoption. Although values won't be certified until later in the month, Assessor Kelly Meuller-Oltjenbruns has unofficially reported about a 3% decrease in valuation countywide. Commissioners reviewed department's...
CENTER FOR RURAL AFFAIRS On June 26, U.S. Reps. Don Bacon, a Nebraska Republican, and Abigail Spanberger, Democrat from Virginia, members of the House Agriculture Committee, introduced a companion bill to the Growing Climate Solutions Act, H.R. 7393. The Senate bill, S. 3894, was introduced by Sens. Mike Braun, Republican from Indiana, and Rhode Island Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse in early June. The bill would standardize the agricultural carbon market and was referred to the House Committee on Agriculture. “These bills come at a critical 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 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 Nebraska Department of Revenue, property assessment division, recently released a reminder to property owners that valuation protests must be filed on or before June 30. If there was an increase or decrease from the 2019 assessed valuation of a real property parcel to the 2020 assessed value, the county assessor was required to send a notice of valuation change to the property owner on or before June 1. If a change of valuation notice was not received, and there was a change in value from 2019 to 2020, contact the local county assessor for...
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...
The Appropriations Committee presented its recommendations for the budget to the Legislature this past week. Budget bills were also given first-round approval from the Legislature. Over the interim, the financial status of the current biennium has improved significantly. The variance from the minimum General Fund reserve was estimated at only $0.2 million when we adjourned last year, but has since grown to $133.8 million. Furthermore, the rainy day fund increased from $322.4 million to $731...
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...
Ewing voters will determine if a one-half cent sales tax increase earmarked for economic development will be approved. During Monday's board meeting, village trustees approved Resolution 399 and 400, which will place the issue on the ballot. Per Resolution 399, the purpose of the increase is to create an LB 840 fund for economic development. According to Chairman James Ramold, passage of the resolution will "create an economic development plan that will create jobs, generate employment opportuni...
Darrel Timm of Neligh and Julie Krause of Brunswick were appointed to the Antelope County Extension Board by the county commissioners, when the county leaders met last week at the Neligh courthouse. Local extension educator Brittany Spieker proposed the appointments of Timm and Krause to replace Gayle Wortman and Derek Zuhlke, who had each completed two terms on the board. The new board members were affirmed on 4-0 votes of the commissioners. Commissioner Eli Jacob was absent. Spieker also presented the annual extension office report. She...
