BROKEN BOW – The Custer County Board of Supervisors began the process of reviewing Form 425 applications on Tuesday morning during its final July meeting.
The supervisors entered the Board of Equalizations at 10:51 a.m., and after nearly 45 minutes of deliberation, had approved some form of revaluation for all 32 applicants.
Supervisors Chairman Barry Fox said that the board would be deviating slightly from the way it had handled the disaster valuations last year, given the severity and concentration of this spring’s Cooksley Complex Fire.
“Unless you go in there and section off the ground that wasn’t burned with fences and great expense, you’re going to have a hard time grazing it at all. So, the opinion of the committee was to take a 100% reduction for the fiscal year on the burned acres.”
Fox went on to say that while the temporary decrease in valuation would come as a relief to those affected by disaster, it most likely wouldn’t change overall tax asks for the coming fiscal year; that money would in all likelihood have to be made up by other taxpayers.
“Any change in this value will shift the tax burden. It won’t change how much will be asked for by, say Anselmo-Merna School District, or Custer County, but it will change where that money will come from.”
The board will continue valuation protest hearings this afternoon, and Wednesday and Friday morning.
Representatives from the Custer County Ag Society appeared before the board to update the supervisors on fairgrounds operations ahead of fair.
Fairgrounds Administrator Michelle Nelson informed that despite losing the Cornhusker Futurity this year, the Ag Society is doing all it can and more to bring in additional events to fill the void.
“It didn’t work out for both sides this year, but there are talks to bring it back next year. However, we needed to try and fill it, and I’m working on having a tractor pull that weekend at the fairgrounds.”
While the fairgrounds preps for its biggest weekend of the year, it by no means lays empty otherwise; the Ag Society has events planned nearly every weekend from April through October, with the Cornhusker Futurity being the only one that has left for other pastures in nearly a decade.
The Custer County Historical Society will maintain its support ask for the coming year; the magic number for Tammy Hendrickson and her museum is $8500. The museum also announced plans to reprint books and install an outdoor mural to celebrate the county’s 150th anniversary in 2027.
Emory Haynes delivered the annual Veteran’s Services Committee report. Haynes cited an uptick in veteran numbers which he attributes to young veterans returning home, and noted the passing of 26 veterans from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and peacetime.
Sheriff Osmond said that to date, 49.5 of 56 distress warrants had been sufficiently collected, and the board unanimously approved a 5-year, $25,000 housing rehabilitation loan.
Three right-of-way crossings were approved, as well. Two belong to Custer Public Power District, and the third to Verizon Wireless.
The board decided to table both the valuation of its land that it intends to sell due to complications with possibly splitting the lots through the City of Broken Bow, and the directive on salaries for its employees to keep up with the cost of living.
The board recessed at 11:41 a.m., and will continue with the first part of valuation hearings at 1 p.m.
