Sen. Tonya Storer

June 12, I toured Burwell’s Department of Health facility, where I had an in-depth discussion about the facility’s operations and services. Later that day, I hosted a meet-and-greet at the Spot Cafe in Burwell. I wrapped up the week Friday spending time in my office at the Capitol. Looking ahead, I will be attending the Sheridan County Board meeting on June 17 at 10:30 a.m. MST at the County Courthouse in Rushville.

Representing District 43 is an honor. Don’t hesitate to get in touch to share your views on legislation, raise any concerns, or ask questions. Your feedback is essential to my work at the Capitol and helps me serve you better. I look forward to hearing from you and working together through the interim. .

Respectfully, Senator Storer “holding the levy flat” while valuations rise results in no tax increase.

During my eight years as a county commissioner, valuations increased about 35 percent, but the levy was reduced from .37 to .19, resulting in nearly an 18 percent decrease in county tax burden. Valuations went up, but taxes went down. That’s fiscal responsibility. Again, increased valuations do NOT have to mean increased taxes. Does school finance need to be reformed? Yes. Does state spending need to be controlled? Yes. Do unfunded mandates need to be reined in? Yes.

As your State Senator I am committed to finding more costs to take off of the backs of property tax payers, such as unfunded mandates and an out of balance school funding formula, and I ask you, as the taxpayer, to be committed to attending local budget hearings and asking your local elected officials to be fiscally responsible as well. Together we can make a difference. As always, if you have questions or need assistance with the appeal process if you feel your valuations are inaccurate, feel free to contact my office.

It was another full week in the district. On Tuesday, June 10, I participated in the taping of the “Backyard Farmer” program in Valentine. The following day, I traveled to Kearney to attend the Nebraska Cattlemen Welcome Reception and dinner event. On Thursday, As property valuation notices arrive across Nebraska, many are concerned by rising values. While valuation increases can be concerning, I want to spend some time talking through their relationship to your actual tax bill. Valuations by themself do NOT determine property taxes. Let me say that again, valuations alone do NOT determine your property tax bill. Valuations are based on actual sales and when they go up, reflect that the value of your property has increased, which overall, is a good thing for your property investment.

Your tax bill is based on the assessed valuation combined with the levy set by your local elected officials. The simple formula is: assessed value multiplied by the levy, divided by 100, equals your tax bill. Even if levies stay flat, higher valuations will still result in higher taxes, which is why local taxing authorities must be disciplined to lower the levy proportionate to valuation increases; values go up…the levy should come down.

Controlling property taxes starts with controlling government spending, which happens at local budget hearings; county, school board, city, NRD, ESU, fire board, where taxpayers can hold officials accountable. The market determines valuation and elected officials determine the levy. Combined, they determine your property tax bill. Don’t be misled by claims that