If needed, commissioners will use state print shop for official pink postcards

​YORK – If the county needs pink postcards this summer, to send to taxpayers announcing the county’s tax asking will be more than 2% higher than last year, the state print shop will be creating them.

​The pink postcard requirement was enacted by the state legislature a few years ago, as a way to alert taxpayers about meetings during which policy makers would be required to have a public meeting to explain the increase in property taxes. These meetings are beyond the public budget hearings which are also required.
“We have the authority to hire a press company if needed and the state was contracted for ours last year,” said Commissioner Randy Obermier.
The county didn’t need pink postcards but they still had a contract in place just in case.
“Our (the clerk’s and his) recommendation is go with the state print shop, and they said they have worked out some of the kinks,” Obermier said.
“We have talked about talking with local printers, did anyone look into that?” asked Commissioner Daniel Grotz.
Obermier said the state print shop is already in the county’s MIPS system and the process has been undertaken by that entity several times for many taxing entities in the state.
“There were a lot of conversations during the NACO (Nebraska Association of County Officials) meeting about this, with many saying there is no really good system with our mail situation,” said Commissioner Andy Bowman.
That comment reflected back to last year, when the postcards arrived very late, so late that in some locations they came the day of or after the public meetings were scheduled.
The county will contract with the state print shop, if the postcards are needed. Last year, only  one school district in York County had to have a pink postcard meeting as none of the other taxing entities grew their tax asking by more than 2% over the year before.