Help Control Property Taxes…Weigh in on Local Budgets

Local governments in Nebraska are working on setting their local budgets. To achieve true property tax relief local government spending must be addressed. Nebraska Farm Bureau has created a toolkit to help County Farm Bureaus weigh in during the budgeting process to help control property taxes. This toolkit is designed to help you engage in the local budgeting process.

How to Use this Toolkit

Included in the toolkit are a guide on the local budgeting process, sample letters to local elected officials, information to share with the media and on social media platforms, and specific information about annual changes in school total disbursements as well as a look at property taxes levied in each county across Nebraska from 2010-2020. We hop this information can help you weigh in during the budgeting process. Things you can do include:

  • Organize a County Farm Bureau meeting and invite your Nebraska Farm Bureau Regional Manager.
  • Find out when your local government or school board will hold their budget hearings and attend the hearings.
  • Have your County Farm Bureau President or board sign and send letters to your county commissioners/supervisors or to your local school board members.
  • Use provided Tweets or posts to your social media.

Here are the links to help you weigh in on your local budgets:

Toolkit Items

Publicity Value

Early in the planning process, consider the news and publicity value and how you might promote information to reporters at local media outlets or on social media platforms.

Consider the following:
  • Have you established relationships with local media outlets? If not, contact the local reporter/broadcaster to introduce yourself as a source of information about agriculture and Farm Bureau.
  • Visits with local reporters can help you build rapport and generate interest in your program and Farm Bureau.
  • Tweets or Facebook posts
    • Over the last 10 years, the total property taxes levied in (insert county) County have increased roughly (insert percent change in county property taxes levied) For owners of agricultural land, property taxes have increased (insert county ag land tax increase – see map) percent over the same period.
    • (insert county) County Farm Bureau and its members understand the importance of good roads and other services provided by the county. However, the accelerated growth in property taxes, particularly as it relates to area farmers, compels us to ask that you be cognizant of these concerns and mindful of the impact increased spending will have on taxpayers as spending levels are established for the upcoming year.
    • Ultimately, it is our hope the (insert county) County Board of supervisors will develop a budget that addresses basic needs for the county, while also balancing the needs of taxpayers who fund these services.
    • One of the issues that continues to be of great concern to our members is the growth in property taxes collected to fund schools and other local government programs and services. Over the last 10 years, the total property taxes levied in (insert county) County have increased roughly (insert percent change in county property taxes levied) For owners of agricultural land, property taxes have increased (insert county ag land tax increase – see map) percent over the same period.
    • It’s also important to understand the trends in school spending. For (insert school) School District spending increases has averaged (Insert percentage) between school years 2015-16 and 2019-20. Nebraska Farm Bureau gathered this data from the Annual Financial Reports filed by K-12 schools with the Nebraska Department of Education. For purposes of this analysis, total disbursements reported by schools were used to measure spending. As an organization representing taxpayers, we felt it important to go on record to share this concern with you as an elected official.
    • As an organization with members who are taxpayers in the (insert school) School District we felt it important to go on record to share this concern with you as an elected official who has a hand in the development and approval of the school budget for the upcoming year.
    • It is important to note the (insert county) County Farm Bureau and its members support and understand the need for a quality education for students in our county and in the (insert school) School District. However, the accelerated growth in property taxes, particularly as it relates to area farmers, compels us to ask that you be cognizant of these concerns and mindful of the impact increased spending will have on taxpayers as spending levels are established for the upcoming school year.

For information contact Jay Ferris at jayf@nefb.org or (402) 421-4409 in the Nebraska Farm Bureau Governmental Relations Department.

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