Thurman, Giittinger on ballot for county board

NEBRASKA CITY – Otoe County board candidates participated in a candidate forum last week, where they were asked about their objectives and challenges ahead for the county.

First District Commissioner Jim Thurman listed upgrading internet technology at the courthouse and organizing open-hearing budget meetings with department heads among accomplishments of his first term.

He also started a grant process for county keno funds and worked to increase transparency over the inheritance tax fund.

Thurman: “We have about an $18 million budget and at times, looking through the past, there’s been $4 million sitting in the inheritance fund and there’s no transparency on it.

"Nobody is taking the money, it’s fine, but we needed transparency on it. I lowered our reserve, we didn’t have a reserve, now we a 10 percent reserve on this and that’s for if we have a bomb cyclone like we had before …

"We take 25 percent of the inheritance fund that comes in each year and we put it into structures and bridges. Before, we couldn’t finish projects if they overran the current year .”

Dan Giittinger, former owner of Kimmel Orchard and former county commissioner from 1999 to 2007, has worked as public properties director for Nebraska City and is currently development services director for the city of Gretna.

Giittinger: “The county is growing, but the tax base needs to grow in order to be able to lower taxes for everyone. Economic development is the key to that. Through my experience where I currently work there are several methods that can be used to entice, to help bring development to the community. “

He said the county can partner with developers to establish infrastructure for potential development areas.

Giittinger: “This community is a farming community, it’s an agricultural community and we have to try and get some of the heavy lift off of those farms that are paying that significant tax.”

Thurman, who earned his degree at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and returned to Nebraska City to run the family business for 30 years, started the Steamboat Trace Association and a youth mentoring program. He is a track and field coach for Lourdes Central Catholic.

He said news of a wind farm proposed in Otoe County is indicative of his role in county government.

Thurman: “We had 75 people show up that are concerned about a windmill, turbine farm going into their neighborhood. We slowed things down. We put a moratorium on there. The board asked me to do a review, giving me 12 months to review our current regulations and all energy sources and what we’re thinking it will be in the future.”

Giittinger currently serves on the Nemaha NRD board and on the state planning and zoning board.