NEBRASKA CITY – State Sen. Bob Hallstrom held a town hall meeting Thursday in Nebraska City where he offered his intention to require a super majority vote for local county, city and school boards to prevent tax levels from automatically lowering if tax valuations increase.

He said preventing levies from automatically lowering should be a decision by a 2/3 vote rather than a simple majority.

He also said the public needs to be armed with information earlier in the budget process.

 

 

Hallstrom: “Maybe make sure that all of the public has in their hands information that shows, if we keep the levy where it is, because of the valuation, here is the extra taxes you’ll pay. And so it behooves you to go in and say please don’t leave the levies where they are and certainly don’t raise them.

"My position on it is --  in making sure you have a super-majority vote -- is that you’re looking at what I call bringing us back to equilibrium or status quo and then the political subdivisions prove why they need to have more tax asking or more revenue.”

He also proposes legislation that would provide board members with financial comparisons independent of their school superintendents.

 

Hallstrom: “People say ‘how can a rural school district spend too much money if they’ve got a bunch of conservative farmers on the school board.”

He said there is a public perception that elected school board members are not in position to question the information they are receiving from school administrators.

Hallstrom said the state Legislature is engaged on property tax relief, but entered last session with a $432 million budget shortfall and expects to come back in January with a $450 million shortfall on the table.

 

 

Hallstrom: “The governor has challenged the Legislature and is working diligently with his staff and administration to find ways to cut $500 million from the state budget. I think that’s going to be an uphill climb, but we will certainly all try to work together. If we’re looking and asking local political subdivisions to tighten their belts, the state needs to continue to do so.”

Hallstrom has also introduced a measure to repeal the inheritance tax, but says he also supports Sen. Rob Clements’ bill that would provide counties with replacement revenue if the inheritance tax is reduced.