KEARNEY — Those pink postcards have popped up again in property owners’ mailboxes across the Tri-Cities.
The postcards are the result of the “Truth in Taxation” law that went into effect last year and required public entities to notify taxpayers and hold a public hearing if they propose to increase property tax revenue more than two percent in the coming year.
Similar measures have been adopted in various forms in other states to raise public awareness and participation before local governments vote on property tax increases.
These postcards carry notices of political subdivisions, cities, school boards and colleges, that are proposing a revenue increase that would result in an overall increase.
There were over 100 people at the Buffalo County Extension Building on Tuesday, Sept. 19 regarding the public hearing announced on the post cards.
Present at the meeting were representatives from Buffalo County, Kearney, Gibbon, Ravenna and the school districts of Gibbon, Pleasanton and Shelton.
Many voiced their concern with the tax situation and questioned the tax hikes.
It was noted that Buffalo County’s levy will drop in the next fiscal year from .333 this year to .321 next year, per the commissioners.
As for the City of Kearney, they mark the fifth consecutive year with the state’s lowest municipal for those Class I cities, 14.9 cents.
It was noted that Kearney Public Schools were not required to participate in the hearing, due to how the new law is worded.
“Following dramatic increases in property valuations and changes to how the state funds public education, Kearney Public Schools is proposing its biggest property tax levy decrease in several years, but Kearney residents will still likely see their property taxes go up,” KPS stated.
“That’s because property values across the district are projected to rise by 9.5%, meaning that even though KPS is cutting its levy, it will still take in a projected $3.34 million more in property tax revenue this year with state aid set to drop in the 2024-2025 budget year,” stated KPS.
