NC Begins Budget Without Administrator

NEBRASKA CITY – Nebraska City commissioners started their 2021 budget session Tuesday without a city administrator.

Mayor Bryan Bequette earlier announced his choice of David Todd of Minnesota for the post, but announced Tuesday that Todd has declined the city’s offer.

City Attorney Drew Graham said Todd notified the city that he is not able to accept the appointment as city administrator due to personal reasons.

Graham: "Mr. Todd was extremely apologetic, but feels that at this time it is in the best interest of his family to remain in Minnesota."

 

The city had conducted personal interviews with Todd and Matthew Rehder at a special meeting in June. Mayor Bequette participated in the interview meeting via Zoom.

Graham told commissioners Monday that the mayor could either pursue hiring Rehder or the city could start the process over by advertising the open position.

 

Commissioners Patrick Wehling and Vic Johns said they would like to meet with the mayor privately regarding the next steps.

Finance Commissioner Gloria Glover said former City Administrator Grayson Path had worked on the budget before his departure. Glover and City Clerk Randy Dunster presented expected city revenues at Monday’s meeting.

 

 

Dunster said the city’s sales tax collections were doing well prior to the pandemic in March and the city does not yet have solid figures past that date. Dunster said the city braced for a drop in sales tax after flooding in 2019, but it ended up being a record year.

He said it is unclear how the pandemic will impact the city at this point, but said it may have caused people to shop more online. He said there were also reports of people from Omaha coming to Nebraska City and buying everything off of the shelf.

The city opened the budgeting session with $1.9 million in sales tax in the sales tax line, an increase of $400,000 over the prior year.

Parks Commissioner Patrick Wehling said parks and recreation revenue may come in close to last year.

Revenue at the swimming pool is expected to be down by $63,000 because of the pandemic-shortened season. However, revenue at the Wildwood Golf Course is at an unprecedented high of $203,000, compared to $132,000 the year prior.