Holly Landers, Rev. Frank Gordoa, and Matthew Caward (from left) from Abundant Life Christian Center talk to Hall County Commissioners Dec. 30 about whether the church should have to pay property tax because its exemption request letter was not received. (Carol Bryant, Central Nebraska Today)
GRAND ISLAND – Abundant Life Christian Center is facing paying one year of property taxes because the county did not receive a property tax exemption request by Dec. 31, 2024, and then by June 30, 2025.
After the Hall County Board of Commissioners meeting Dec. 30, Board Chairman Ron Peterson said that the church would owe $52,300 on one parcel of land it owns and $31,750 for another parcel it owns. The total is $84,050.
Holly Landers, operations pastor for the church, said she mailed the property tax exemption request on June 12, placing the letter in the church’s mailbox. Other church staff could verify that she mailed the letter on that date.
After several members from the church spoke and Commissioners responded, church representatives were asked to submit an affidavit concerning when the letter was mailed. County Commissioners will then take action on the matter at a future meeting.
Hall County Attorney Marty Klein said that the Commissioners had to have “competent evidence” concerning making a decision.
Landers said that the church was having a problem in the spring of 2025 of having mail stolen from its mailbox. The church learned about the situation when Grand Island police contacted the church. Mail from the church had been found along roads near the church.
Since then, the church has switched to a locked mailbox.
Abundant Life Christian Center Lead Pastor Frank Gordoa said he “was in shock at first” after finding out about the situation.
He said the church wanted to find a remedy for the situation. He said the church was founded 98 years ago and has been at its current location at 3411 W. Faidley Ave. for 46 years.
“We plea for mercy,” Gordoa said.
Landers said that a church staff member was a witness to her mailing the tax exemption request on June 12.
She said that there were four people who could say that they witnessed her mailing the letter on June 12.
County Attorney Marty Klein said that the church could submit sworn affidavits to County Commissioners, and then Commissioners could make a decision at a future meeting whether to grant the property tax exemption to Abundant Life Christian Center.
Public Works Director Don Robb referred to a draft of a letter in the Commissioners’ packet to be sent to the director of the Nebraska Department of Transportation regarding getting a status update on the timeline of the design study for the U.S. Highway 30 Grand Island East Bypass. According to the letter, the project was selected in 2016 for design in the design in the next 10 years. The letter was to be signed by County Board Chairman Ron Peterson and Grand Island Mayor Roger Steele.
“The City of Grand Island staff has learned during the 2050 Long Range Transportation Plan process that it is difficult to further plan for transportation improvements on the east side of Grand Island until the design study for the Grand Island East Bypass has been completed,” the letter said.
Commissioners voted 6-0 to send the letter to the Nebraska Department of Transportation. Commissioner Butch Hurst was absent from the Dec. 30 meeting.
Robb said after he spoke to Commissioners that he did not know where the bypass would start and end.
In another matter, Commissioners discussed the release of the meeting agenda and packet by email. Normally Hall County Clerk Marla Conley sends the email on the Friday afternoon preceding the Tuesday Board meeting the next week. However, there have been several recent incidents where a revised agenda and packet was emailed just prior to 9 a.m. Monday, the day preceding the Board meeting.
Hall County Attorney Marty Klein said that Conley was the person to contact about placing items on the agenda and providing supporting materials. Commissioner Pam Lancaster said that she urged to have the final version of the agenda and supporting materials mailed on a Friday afternoon.
Hall County Commissioner Gary Quandt said that in a related matter, if Commissioners receive a document, that document needs to be available to media. Hall County Attorney Marty Klein said that journalists could contact Hall County Clerk Marla Conley to get a copy of a document.
Under the topic of Commissioner reports, Commissioner Karen Bredthauer informed Commissioners about several topics from attending the Nebraska Association of County Officials state meeting just ahead of Christmas.
She said that rural counties are struggling because there is not an attorney practicing in the county who could be a county attorney or public defender. Those counties then have to pay significantly more for legal services than what they would pay for the salary of a county attorney or public defender. It was noted that Adams County advertised for a public defender for a year and could not find someone to fill the position.
Commissioner Jane Richardson, who is an attorney, said that the Nebraska Bar Association had a program to encourage attorneys to work in rural areas.
At their Dec. 16 meeting, Commissioners discussed problems with bedbug infestations that are occurring at Centennial Towers. In an interview after that meeting, Hall County Housing Authority Executive Director Artena Thompson said that representatives from the Housing Authority would meet with Commissioners in a closed session Dec. 30 to discuss the issue.
However, Commissioner Chairman Ron Peterson said that a group of Commissioners would meet with Housing Authority representatives, in part so that the meeting would not be subject to open meetings regulations for public meetings. Commissioner Gary Quandt said that the bedbug problem was affecting businesses and health care providers who were exposed to people who lived in apartments with bedbug infestations.
