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Council members say tax postcard timing limits public input; NACO and League working on bill to list budget-hearing dates
Summary
Kearney City Council members discussed limited public input from current tax-statement timing and said NACO and the League are proposing legislation to list budget-hearing dates on tax statements so residents can attend earlier in the process.
Council members said the timing of the tax-notification postcard leaves residents little opportunity to participate in the municipal budget process, and they reported that the Nebraska Association of County Officials (NACO) and the League are pursuing a joint bill to change when budget hearing dates are communicated to property owners.
Council members reflected on a recent tax hearing that drew a large audience and on misunderstandings at that event about the role of assessed values versus budget decisions. One council member thanked staff member Brian for representing the city at the tax hearing. Several members said the current "pink postcard" schedule does not give the public an effective window to comment during the budget process.
Council members said NACO and the League proposed a bill last year and plan to try again to restructure the timing so that tax statements list when local budget hearings will occur. The goal, council members said, is to give residents notice earlier so they can attend hearings "at the appropriate time in the process" rather than learning of hearings after decisions are effectively complete.
Council members also noted that misunderstandings at the hearing often center on assessed values and assessment percentages, topics that county assessors determine rather than city officials. They suggested that public education about assessment timelines and processes could accompany statutory changes.
In other calendar notes, the council confirmed its first November meeting will be Nov. 12 (Wednesday), moved because Veterans Day falls on Nov. 11; the council said several members will attend a city government leadership event that day. No formal ordinance or new budget action was taken during the discussion; members described the session as a report and discussion of outreach and process.
The transcript references city staff and department heads who prepared the budget presentation and thanked them for their work; specific budget figures were not discussed in the excerpt.
