Roughly 50 people were on hand for a hearing Wednesday night, Sept. 23 at the Dawson County Opportunity Center in response to four taxable entities increasing collections over the allowable growth limit.

Of the taxing entities, the City of Cozad’s budget is $954,426.25, and their budget will exceed last year’s by 4%. Cozad mayor Marcus Kloepping said that the tax increase is based on the Paulsen Sports Complex, loss of sales tax revenues stemming from the 2024 hail storm, increased fees to Dawson County Dispatch, and insurance premium increases.

Other increases were levied by Dawson County, which has a budget of $14.4 million; Gothenburg Schools, which has a budget of $12.0 million; and Sumner-Eddyville-Miller schools, with a budget of $4.8 million. The schools were represented by their superintendents, Allison Jonas (Gothenburg) and Ben Wright (SEM); and Bill Stewart represented the Dawson County Commissioners.

Many people listed their complaints on property tax increases in the public comment, which ran a roughly an hour and a half.

Glade Smith from Gothenburg presented a handout to those in attendance, stating to the crowd that 100% of farm earnings could equal school taxes within the next 18-28 years if tax increases continue. Smith’s document used Gothenburg Schools as an example and an average tax increase request of 6%. At that rate, taxes levied on a parcel of irrigated farm ground could match farm earnings.

Near the end of public comment, Todd Ibach from Sumner approached for comment on the revenue side of the property tax debate and finding ways to expand the tax base, citing the lost opportunities from a wind farm project earlier in the decade south of Sumner and Eddyville.

According to Ibach, had the county commission allowed the wind farm project and not placed restrictive zoning and regulation on wind energy in the county, the county commission could receive up to $100,000 this year in taxes, and SEM could have received up to $500,000 this year in taxes from the wind project.

Other taxing entities that increased property tax collections above Nebraska’s allowable growth limit were Eustis-Farnam Public Schools and Callaway Public Schools. Both school districts had their hearings earlier in the month in Frontier and Custer counties, respectively.

(This report was published Sept. 24 on the Rural Radio Network. Reprinted by permission.)

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