Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Buffalo County board approves levies, $500,000 transfer and several road actions; denies two Union Pacific crossing closures
Loading...
Summary
At its Aug. 26 meeting, the Buffalo County Board of Commissioners approved final levy allocations (Resolution 2025-55), authorized a $500,000 transfer to the county health insurance fund, approved road contracts and petitions, approved multiple special liquor licenses, accepted a NIRMA-recommended workers’ compensation settlement, and denied requests to close two Union Pacific crossings.
The Buffalo County Board of Commissioners on Aug. 26 approved a series of routine and financial actions, including final property tax levies for fiscal year 2025–26 and an interfund transfer of $500,000 to the county health insurance fund, and took action to authorize road contracts and deny proposed railroad crossing closures.
Chairperson Sherry L. Morrow convened the meeting at 9:00 A.M. and the board approved the Aug. 12, 2025 minutes and ratified payroll claims processed Aug. 22, 2025. Commissioner Bill Maendele read service recognitions into the record for several county employees.
Why it matters: the board’s decisions lock in levy allocations for the coming fiscal year, shift substantial resources into the county’s health insurance reserve, and set the county’s near-term road agenda — actions that affect county budgeting and capital projects.
Among the larger fiscal moves, the board authorized a transfer of $500,000 from the Inheritance Fund to the Health Insurance Fund and a transfer of $50,000 from the General Fund to the Weed Fund. The board also approved August vendor claims that were entered into the official record.
On taxes, the board adopted Resolution 2025-55 to approve final levy allocations for Buffalo County. The roll-call vote on the levies recorded Aye votes from Commissioners Higgins, Kouba, Klein, Lynch, Maendele and Chairperson Morrow; Commissioner Loeffelholz recorded an abstention.
The board approved a workers’ compensation settlement recommended by the Nebraska Intergovernmental Risk Management Association (NIRMA) after Deputy County Attorney Andrew Hoffmeister reviewed the proposal. The settlement motion passed on a unanimous roll-call vote.
Transportation and roads were a substantive part of the agenda. Highway Superintendent John Maul presented the 2025–2026 One & Six Year Road and Bridge Review; the board set a public hearing for Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025 at 9:45 A.M. The board approved a contract with DMC Well LLC to perform improvements on 340th Road (SE ¼ of Section 15, T-12-N, R-14-W) and approved a road maintenance petition for the Spruce Hollow West Second Subdivision.
Union Pacific sought to close Maple Road and Poole Road at the U.S. Highway 30 crossings; after Highway Superintendent Maul presented the inquiry and Buffalo County Sheriff Neil Miller urged against closing the crossings for public use, the board voted to deny the closure request.
In other business, the board approved Special Designated Liquor Licenses for events at Knobel Barn (3070 Odessa Road) and at The Chalet (7265 Pawnee Road, Gibbon) for mid-September events, and acknowledged receipt of the July 2025 Community Action Partnership of Mid-Nebraska RYDE Report.
Board of Equalization: During a recess, the board convened as the Board of Equalization. The board amended a previously entered Confession to Judgment in TERC Case No. 21C-0552 (Kearney Lodging, LLC v. Buffalo County) to correct a typographical error and to reflect an assessed valuation for tax year 2021 of $3,625,000 (land $578,550; improvements $3,046,450); the amendment and authorization for the County Attorney’s Office to confess judgment were approved unanimously.
The meeting closed without public comment during Citizen’s Forum and adjourned at 9:57 A.M. The board scheduled its next regular meeting for Sept. 9, 2025.
Votes at a glance: - Approve Aug. 12, 2025 minutes — Moved by Bill Maendele; seconded by Timothy Higgins; outcome: approved (Aye: Maendele, Higgins, Klein, Kouba, Loeffelholz, Lynch, Morrow). - Ratify payroll claims (Aug. 22, 2025) — Moved by Higgins; seconded by Loeffelholz; outcome: approved (unanimous Aye). - Transfer $500,000 from Inheritance Fund to Health Insurance Fund — Moved by Higgins; outcome: approved (unanimous Aye). - Transfer $50,000 from General Fund to Weed Fund — Moved by Higgins; seconded by Kouba; outcome: approved (unanimous Aye). - Approve vendor claims (Aug. 2025) — Moved by Loeffelholz; seconded by Higgins; outcome: approved (unanimous Aye). - Resolution 2025-55 (final levies) — Moved by Higgins; seconded by Kouba; outcome: approved (Aye: Higgins, Kouba, Klein, Lynch, Maendele, Morrow; Abstain: Loeffelholz). - Approve NIRMA workers’ compensation settlement — Moved by Ivan Klein; seconded by Daniel Lynch; outcome: approved (unanimous Aye). - Special Designated Liquor Licenses (Knobel Barn events; The Wandering Well; The Chalet) — outcome: approved (unanimous Aye for each listed license). - Set public hearing for One & Six Year Road and Bridge Program (Sept. 23, 2025, 9:45 A.M.) — outcome: approved (unanimous Aye). - Approve contract with DMC Well LLC for 340th Road — outcome: approved (unanimous Aye). - Approve road maintenance petition for Spruce Hollow West Second Subdivision — outcome: approved (unanimous Aye). - Resolution 2025-56 (authorize chair to sign County Annual Certification of Program Compliance) — Moved by Loeffelholz; seconded by Klein; outcome: approved (Aye recorded; transcript notes Klein absent for that vote). - Deny Union Pacific request to close Maple Road and Poole Road at US Hwy 30 crossings — Moved by Daniel Lynch; seconded by Ivan Klein; outcome: denied (unanimous Aye). - Board of Equalization: Amend Confession to Judgment in TERC Case No. 21C-0552 — outcome: approved (unanimous Aye); amended assessed valuation: $3,625,000 (land $578,550; improvements $3,046,450).
Sources: Buffalo County Board of Commissioners meeting minutes, Aug. 26, 2025 (official proceedings).