YORK – To be in compliance with LB644 – state legislation that requires pink post cards to be sent and hearings to be held if taxing entities are going to increase their budgets by more than 2% -- the county commissioners agreed to hire the state print shop to create the paper parcels (if they are needed). “The recommendation is to go with the state print shop for this print work,” said Commissioner Randy Obermier. “We don’t know where we will land yet or where the other taxing subdivisions will be, but this is one of the rules. This is what we, as the county, has to have done. The estimates are that each card costs 45 cents to create.”
“We used them last year, so based on previous experience and recommendations from the clerk and assessor, I make a motion we go with the state print shop,” said Commissioner Daniel Grotz. Commissioner Woody Ziegler asked if this job was discussed with any local print companies. “Last year, all of this was new and we went with them because they were ready,” said York County Clerk Kelly Turner. “Part of it is the very tight timeline,” explained Obermier. The tight timeline comes with the taxing entity finishing its budget and seeing where it lands; shortly afterward, the public hearing has to be held so the pink cards have to be quickly mailed out; the hearing has to be legally advertised as well. The process lands very soon before budgets have to be turned in to the state. “They are already set up for this,” Obermier said. “And they have enough stock for this to be done, when the time comes,” Turner added. “They work hand in hand with NACO (the Nebraska Association of County Officials) and most counties are going their way,” Obermier said. “Last year, there was a lot of confusion about the figures that were on the cards and a lot of superintendents got calls,” remembered Ziegler, referring to incorrect figures being used. “Will that be fixed this year?” “We had a new deputy assessor who was the acting assessor and all of this was new to everyone,” Turner said. “Also, this year, they will bypass the clerk’s office and work directly with the assessor’s office, so that middle person will be eliminated in the process.” “There will be an informal meeting this year to discuss the changes,” Obermier added. “This bill does nothing to stop anyone from passing their budgets, it’s just a transparency thing. And it is a cost to us for the publication of notice, which doesn’t get reimbursed.” The board voted to go with the state print shop for this project – if postcards are needed. That will depend on where village, county, city, school district budgets land at the end of the process. Comments are closed.
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