NEBRASKA CITY – Nebraska  City Mayor Bryan Bequette said notice of a 25 percent increase in property valuations this summer had citizens wondering about upcoming tax bills, so the city wanted to make sure the levy for city government went down.

Bequette: “We wanted to bring that down because we knew folks were seeing increases in value. They told us this year that the total value of every parcel in Nebraska City, inside the city limits added up, went from $404 million to $485 million – 25 to 20-something percent increases. So we wanted to soften that blow by seeing if there was way we could reduce the percentage of the property tax we were asking for, so we didn’t leave it up there where we had the previous year.”

Last year’s levy of 30.5 cents was reduced to 27 cents for the general fund. The bonds levy went from 16.5 cents last year to 15 cents this year. The city will ask for $29,000 more in property tax.

Bequette said the median property value was $121,000 in 2020, but the recent valuation increase has put the median valuation of owner-occupied property over $150,000.

Bequette: “If we would have left it the same,  you would have paid a lot more, but, by reducing it, it’s only going to be about $75 a year. Next year you’ll pay $75 for city property taxes. Now there are lots of other taxing authorities out there, schools, community college, county and all that that folks have to pay too.”

The budget includes a 4 percent cost-of-living increase for employees and higher wages in a new agreement with Fraternal Order of Police. Bequette said money was taken out of reserves to achieve a levy decrease.

He said increasing sales tax provides property tax relief.

Bequette: “That cent and a half on sales here in Nebraska City has been performing very well.”

The city earlier approved a 1.25 percent transfer fee on utility bills to fund its  housing development.

 Former Fire Chief Al Viox and Fire Chief Rob Schreiner join Mayor Bryan Bequette for a declaration of fire prevention week