County grants late homestead exemption for 3801 Polk Street after applicant provides copy of 2024 form

The Douglas County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously on March 11 to grant a homestead exemption for property at 3801 Polk Street, Omaha, after county staff said the assessor’s office did not receive the applicant’s 2024 form within the statutory filing period.

Mike Goodwillie of the Douglas County Assessor/Register of Deeds office told commissioners the owner had received full homestead exemptions in 2022 and 2023 but did not file the 2024 application by the June 30 deadline “set forth by law.” Goodwillie said county staff would “operate under the copy that they provided us” — treating the copy the applicant brought as the application for 2024.

The applicant’s daughter, who identified herself as Aleandra, said she helped her mother file the exemption in prior years and that she believed they mailed the 2024 application in late May. County staff told the board they had no record of receiving the original envelope but accepted the copy provided at the meeting for administrative processing.

Commissioner Borgeson moved to grant the exemption; Commissioner Cavanaugh seconded. The motion passed 7–0.

County staff said they will process the application using the copy provided and treat the income statement and supporting documents included with that copy as the basis for the exemption determination. The board did not reference any further appeals or additional procedural steps during the meeting.