Nine more Gov. Pillen-led property tax town halls in central, western Nebraska this week

Zach Wendling
·2 min read
Gov. Jim Pillen addresses attendees at a property tax town hall in Plattsmouth.
Gov. Jim Pillen addresses attendees at a property tax town hall in Plattsmouth.
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Gov. Jim Pillen addresses attendees at a property tax town hall in Plattsmouth on Thursday, May 30, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)

LINCOLN — Gov. Jim Pillen will close out the month of June with nine more town halls focused on his property tax reform ideas in western and central Nebraska.

The latest slate of town halls indicates that Pillen will complete June with “a full slate” of such events in the western and central parts of the state, including his hometown of Columbus. At week’s end, this will equate to 26 town halls. 

The governor’s quest has been to shift or eliminate a total of about 40%, or $2 billion, of locally collected property taxes by the end of his first two years in office, adding on to efforts in 2023. Pillen has previewed that he’s open to the state taking on more or all of the tab for Nebraska’s 244 public school districts.

The Nebraska Department of Revenue reports that for the 2022-2023 school year, the property tax portion for school funding was $2.8 billion, excluding bond taxes.

Ideas for funding Pillen’s ideas include eliminating some sales tax exemptions and possibly creating a two-tiered sales and use tax rate per dollar on purchases of certain goods or services. The rate is currently 5.5 cents. “Sins taxes” could also increase, such as on alcohol, cigarettes or vaping.

Pillen has not yet disclosed a specific plan of action; neither have any of the more than a dozen state senators he has been working with in Lincoln.

Last week, the governor offered a “save-the-date” for senators to clear their calendars between July 26 and Aug. 15. It is the clearest indication yet for when he might call a special session, though no official call has been made.

This week’s town hall schedule is as follows:

Tuesday, June 25

  • 10:30 a.m. at Phelps Memorial Health Center, 1215 Tibbals St., Holdrege.

  • 2 p.m. at Younes Conference Center – North, 707 Talmadge St., Kearney.

Wednesday, June 26

  • 1:30 p.m. at Columbus Chamber of Commerce, 753 33rd Ave., Columbus.

Thursday, June 27

  • 10 a.m. at Mid-Plains Community College, 715 East Highway 20, Valentine.

  • 1 p.m. at Chadron State College, Student Center – Lakota Room, 1000 Main St., Chadron.

  • 4:30 p.m. at Westside Events Center, 2472 County Road 62, Alliance.

Friday, June 28

  • 8:30 a.m. at Petrified Wood Gallery, 418 East 1st St., Ogallala.

  • 1 p.m. at Coppermill Steakhouse, 202 Coppermill St., McCook.

  • 4 p.m. at Central Community College – The Opportunity Center, 1501 Plum Creek Parkway, Lexington.

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