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Board of Equalization deadlocks on Grace Children's Home exemptions; Mosaic parcel denied, state to review Yorkshire Playhouse
Summary
During the Board of Equalization session commissioners split 2-2 on several permissive exemption applications for Grace Children's Home and will revisit the matter May 28; the board denied Mosaic parcel 930003403 and the assessor reported the Department of Revenue has appealed a previously granted Yorkshire Playhouse exemption.
The York County Board of Equalization convened April 30 to hear permissive tax exemption applications and left several contested items unresolved after a tied vote.
County Assessor Kurt Holden (speaker 10) walked the board through numerous permissive exemption filings, noting clerical corrections for several applicants and recommending approval where the missing boxes or dates had been corrected. "They completed it here a couple months ago," Holden said of one applicant and recommended approval where the ownership changes were complete (SEG 1720–1740).
The board grouped many routine applications for approval and pulled specific parcels for separate votes. Mosaic Housing Corp. asked to remove parcel 930003403 from consideration, and the board denied that parcel at the applicant’s request.
The most contentious item involved multiple parcels owned or operated by Grace Children's Home. Holden said the assessor initially recommended denial for certain parcels due to lack of information; Grace submitted further documentation and an attorney’s letter in response. Commissioners debated whether houses used as temporary staff or foster housing are equivalent to parsonages or college-owned housing that have previously received exemptions. One commissioner noted the county had previously exempted parsonages and housing tied to nonprofit institutions.
After discussion a motion to approve Grace Children's Home’s exemptions was called; the roll call produced two votes in favor and two opposed (Obermeyer and Ott voting yes; Gross and Sykes voting no), and the chair announced, "Motion fails" (SEG 2103–2112). Because the motion did not pass, the board did not approve those parcels and decided to revisit the Grace items at the May 28 meeting with a full board and staffing.
Holden also informed commissioners that the Nebraska Department of Revenue has appealed the board’s earlier permissive exemption for the Yorkshire Playhouse and will schedule a hearing; the theater’s exempt status remains in effect until any reversal by the department (SEG 2209–2240).
What’s next: The board scheduled reconside-ration of the Grace Children's Home parcels for the May 28 meeting to ensure a full decision with complete staffing and notices to affected parties.
