With Tax Equalization and Review Committee (TERC) hearings upcoming in June, Chase County Commissioners Dave Hogsett, Chuck Vette and Don Weiss, Jr. spent much of their March 28 meeting in Board of Equalization (BOE) discussions.
    Duane Dinnel attended the meeting with several concerns for the BOE.
    Dinnel had previously asked for a refund for Green Valley Acres and John Engbrecht. The BOE chose to not give the refund since the land was ruled on as part of the TERC hearings.
    Duane Dinnel had also previously presented five sales to the BOE for it’s consideration regarding CREP land valuations. Four were undisputed, but the fifth, from March 9, 2015, raised questions.
    Dinnel disputed the way the land was divided, saying that there are 104.4 acres of irrigated land.
    Chase County Assessor Dottie Bartels assessed the land as 53.7 acres in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and 60 acres of Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP).
    After much discussion, the board choose to accept Bartels’ assessed value, despite Dinnel paying taxes for 104.4 acres of irrigated land.
    Dinnel’s third question of the meeting concerned the 2016 CREP appeals.
    At the meeting, Bartels said there were 40 cases on the docket for June 8.
    The BOE met Tuesday, April 4, for a special meeting during which it amended the 2016 CREP land values from 72 percent ($3,383) to 70 percent ($3,289) for those who had filed protests with TERC. Both percentages fell within the State of Nebraska’s guidelines of 69 to 75 percent.
    Bartels anticipates 2017 values CREP to be $3,330. The exact figure will be set by June 1.
    
County burials
    During the regular commissioners’ meeting Mike Liewer was on hand to discuss county burials as part of the county’s General Assistance Program.
    Liewer said though it has been rare for him to use the program, he has been very careful how he has used it and has looked hard into finding personal assets before performing a county burial.
    At this time, Liewer suggests using cremation exclusively. He went on to say the Nebraska Department of Veterans’ Affairs offers a flat fee of $3,000 for the cremation of indigent veterans. Between meeting with the deceased’s family, getting information for the death certificate, the cremations and returning the remains to the family, Liewer suggested an amount of $3,130. Liewer said his business would never “double-dip” and charge both Veterans’ Affairs and the county.
    Chase County Clerk Debbie Clark said it is time to update the General Assistance Program and a public hearing will be held when the time comes.
 

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