LINCOLN The Nebraska Association of County Officials (NACO) has examined the dual petitions sponsored by Advocates for All Nebraskans and finds them to be ineffective in some ways and harmful in others. They will not have the intended effect in many communities across Nebraska. Instead, if these proposals are successful, many areas will see a significant degradation of essential public services; many others will not see much of a difference in the property tax obligations.
Property tax requests reflect the cost of government services. Every Nebraskan — whether a property owner or not — has a vested interest in infrastructure, elections integrity, law enforcement/courts, and economic development. These proposals threaten the ability of local governments to provide these services and meet the individual needs of their communities.
These ballot measures do not offer a uniform benefit to all Nebraskans and are indicative of a broader issue: that a lack of engagement with counties, cities, and schools results in proposals that ignore the diversity of needs across the state. Any changes to the current property tax structure must be informed by conversations with those who do the work of delivering essential services to their communities.
NACO’s mission is to stimulate and contribute to the continuing improvement of county government in Nebraska through the promotion of increased efficiency and economy, the development of a higher standard of public ser vice, and the protection of the common good and general welfare of Nebraska county residents. NACO Executive Director Jon Cannon stated: “Counties more than anyone appreciate the ongoing and passionate discussions about property taxes — counties, after all, are involved in every step of the assess- ment and taxation process, and our officials see firsthand the effects that this issue has on our friends and neighbors across the state. That said, counties are responsible for the most fundamental services our society expects, and our elected officials take their responsibilities as stewards of the citizens' dollars seriously. Impeding local control with a one-size-fits-all solution will have reasonably foreseeable consequences for the services our citizens expect and frustrates the progress our friends in the legislative and executive branches have been working toward. Just like no drop of water causes the flood, floods are controlled by laying one brick at a time.”
