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Gage County tentatively increases victim-assistance funding as budget is advertised
Summary
During its Sept. 3 meeting the Gage County Board of Supervisors agreed to include $20,000 for a victim-assistance position in the fiscal-year 2025-26 budget while keeping the overall tax asking unchanged; the board discussed broader budget pressures that could force cuts to law enforcement and roads.
The Gage County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 3 directed staff to include $20,000 for victim-assistance services in the proposed 2025-26 county budget while the county advertises the budget with a 2.47% overall tax-asking increase.
Chief Murphy of the Beatrice Police Department had asked the county to fund $20,000 for the city's victim-assistance position after the program lost federal grant support. "If we don't (fund it), they'll probably get rid of that person there," the county administrator said while explaining the request and the intergovernmental arrangement with the city.
Supervisors discussed options for how to pay the additional $13,000 above last year's county contribution of $7,000 without increasing the advertised tax asking. Board members agreed to "plug that in at 20 right now in the budget without a change to the overall asking," according to the chair. The board did not record a formal roll-call vote on that specific line-item change during the meeting; staff said they would move funds internally and notify the city once the county confirms whether the administrator can cover the shortfall from within existing appropriations.
The budget discussion also included frank warnings about the county's fiscal outlook. County officials said the proposed tax asking would raise roughly $280,000 year-over-year but that continuing pressures could force cuts. "There's a good chance we'll be either cutting staff or retooling at the sheriff's office," the county administrator said, noting overtime restrictions, rising wages and a likely increase in the sheriff's expense base.
Supervisors emphasized the county's limited discretion over some expenses, noted past valuation swings that can affect the levy, and discussed the possibility of carrying forward unused capacity under state tax-cap rules. The board voted earlier in the meeting to proceed with advertising the budget as presented (advertisement action is part of the agenda process); staff will return to the board with final figures and any recommended adjustments before adoption.
No formal adoption occurred Sept. 3; the board set the advertised tax asking and directed staff to incorporate the victim-assistance allocation within the current asking while staff pursues internal transfers or other adjustments.
