Sarpy County board approves most tax exemptions, tables Mills property for one week

The Sarpy County Board of Equalization on March 18 approved a series of tax-exemption and correction items but voted to table one disputed exemption tied to the Mills Eternal Family Trust.

At a public hearing, County Assessor Dan Pittman recommended approval of 19 Form 4451 applications submitted by qualifying organizations; the board approved that recommendation unanimously. The board also approved assessor-recommended denials for multiple applications the assessor said were not used for charitable purposes. Commissioners voted to accept the assessor’s recommendations on all the denials except the Mills property and then voted 3-2 to table the Mills matter for one week to allow the taxpayer to provide documentation.

Why it matters: property tax exemptions affect county tax rolls and can be appealed to the state. Several speakers and board members discussed whether properties were being used primarily for charitable purposes or for private residence, and whether ownership structures met exemption standards.

The board first handled a motor-vehicle-exemption application for the Mills Eternal Family Trust, Inc., covering a 2022 Mini Cooper wagon. Jeff Meisel, Sarpy County treasurer, told commissioners the application had been submitted incompletely and asked the taxpayer to refile; the board then approved…