State department of revenue is appealing county board’s tax exemption for Yorkshire Playhouse

YORK – The Nebraska Department of Revenue is appealing the York County Commissioners’ allowance of property tax exemption for the Yorkshire Playhouse.

​A few weeks ago, York County Assessor Kurt Bulgrin recommended continued exemption for the Yorkshire Playhouse property. It has been historically declared tax exempt. The York County Commissioners, sitting as the board of equalization, agreed, as they considered all the property tax exemption applications in the county.
Now, however, the state agency is appealing that decision.
Bulgrin told the county commissioners this week he was notified about the appeal.
“What I’m learning is that the department of revenue is really looking at community playhouses and theaters, this year,” Bulgrin said. “They will notify all parties involved, including the county and the Playhouse. I’m pretty sure Yorkshire will want to hire counsel to go before TERC.”
The appeal will be heard by TERC, the state’s tax equalization review commission, at a later date.
“They will stay exempt until TERC tells me otherwise,” Bulgrin said.
In other business as the board of equalization, the county board was asked to consider – again – some property tax exemption applications they already approved. Bulgrin said the applications were sent back to the county by the state department of revenue because of information errors provided by the applicants. Bulgrin said in some cases the applicants forgot to check a box or provide their classification for exemption.
Bulgrin had the applicants provide the necessary corrections and the county board members reaffirmed the exemptions.
One property owned by Mosaic will no longer be exempt – per Mosaic’s request – because it is no longer being used in the same way it had been.
Bulgrin said he expected the department of revenue to re-examine those corrected applications upon receipt.