Joint Public Hearing

JOINT PUBLIC HEARING HELD YESTERDAY, WHAT'S NEXT?

A joint public hearing on increased property tax requests from Washington County, Blair Schools and Fort Calhoun Schools was held at the Blair Public Library yesterday evening.

Termed a “pink postcard hearing”, those public hearings are required when any political subdivision in the State of Nebraska asks for a greater percentage than the allowable growth percentage defined by statute. The author of that statue is Senator Ben Hansen of Legislative District 16.

Hansen was at that meeting last night, observing the concerns voiced by those attending. What happens next? Hansen says it depends on what those that make up the school boards and board of supervisors do. Those political bodies must now consider what they have heard from their constituents – the people in their communities.

Those board members now have another opportunity to reevaluate those budgets, adjust them, and have another hearing if they want to – and then send it off to the state.

Senator Hansen about 3 years ago, authored the legislation that brought this dialogue and communication about. He, having served on a city council, says it’s easy to move around numbers on a piece of paper, but these type of forums help politicians see the faces of the people impacted by decisions. Some may contemplate adjusting the budgets in order to lower that levy.

Those voicing concern, included one farmer who said that whatever the grain prices are that year, they make it work and they expect those that they elected to “make it work” as well.

A senior citizen spoke, saying that she is on a limited budget and has to tighten her belt and advised the taxing entities to tighten their belts like everyone else does.

Another cited the fact that those property taxes drawn out of landlords will be passed along to their renters, so in the long run, everyone is impacted by those high budgets.

Several of those attending commented about wants versus needs.