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NEFB’s property tax campaign raises awareness about involvement at county level

The Nebraska Farm Bureau has launched a campaign to raise awareness about increasing property taxes and asks for producers to get involved.

President Mark McHargue tells Brownfield some progress has been made through recent legislation, but the job is not finished. “Land values and valuations just keep going up, and in some places 20% and so as that goes up, if the county doesn’t take action to either lower the levy, reduce their asking, we just continue to pay more and more property tax even though we have significant refunds coming.”

A recent state law requires a public hearing if county officials raise their tax asking by more than 2 percent, and McHargue says that’s an ideal time for producers to share input. “The local level, counties, have to say ‘we’re going to lower our levies to the same degree that our taxes stay the same’.”

He says Governor Jim Pillen has organized valuation committee that will explore alternative ways to value agriculture land.

Mark McHargue: