McCook Public Schools preliminary budget to be presented Monday

McCOOK, Neb. — A budget hearing for the 2022-23 McCook Public Schools budget will precede the regular meeting on Monday, starting at 6:30 p.m. at the junior high conference room.

According to the budget summary for the hearing, the property tax request for the proposed 2022-23 budget is $9.24 million, a $351,332 increase from last year’s requirement. This includes the Special Building Fund, General Fund and Bond.

No property tax levy was included on the budget summary but McCook Public School Superintendent Grant Nogaard told the Gazette today that the school’s property tax levy for 2022-23 for the General, special building and bond fund is expected to be reduced from last year’s rate by a little less than four cents, at $0.036.

As the school district’s proposed budget has increased by 3.79%, more than the 2.74% allowed in the Property Tax Request Act, the board will meet at a special meeting Monday, Sept. 19 at the Red Willow County Commissioner’s room to present its budget. Patrons of the McCook Public School District will receive by mail a postcard notifying them of the meeting.

The postcards and hearings are part of the Property Tax Request Act, a new state law that went into effect this year. It requires that governmental taxing entities that want more than a 2% increase in property taxes must present their budgets at a separate hearing. The law requires the public hearings to be taxpayer-friendly, with starting times after 6 p.m. and only one hearing per county covering all taxing entities.

Approved by the Nebraska State Legislature in 2021, the intention of the law is to make property tax decisions more transparent and give taxpayers another opportunity to voice their concerns.

Following the meeting at Red Willow County, the McCook Board of Education will meet at a special meeting to approve the budget. Government budgets must be submitted to the state by Sept. 30.

No regular voting items are slated for the McCook Board of Education meeting on Monday. Non-voting items include reports presented by the superintendent, business manager and members of the Finance Committee and Samantha Rodewald sworn-in as the Student Council representative to the board.