Budget changes, 2025 plan and tax rate approved by Beatrice City Council

BEATRICE – Adjustments to the 2024 budget and approval of the second-half of the biennial budget have been approved by the Beatrice City Council.
This coming year’s tax rate for the city will be set at 34.7 cents per hundred dollars of property valuation.

"It would be the fifth straight year you've lowered the property tax levy."

Beatrice City Administrator Tobias Tempelmeyer says the overall property tax request of the city comes to $3,363,300. There are no utility rate increases. The city’s electric rate hasn’t been increased since 2015.  Public hearings were held on the budget and budget adjustments to the 2024 plan, along with the tax request.

The past year’s plan included about $8 million of changes….mainly carry-over items or projects from the prior budget year….but also roof repairs and the Paddock Lane and Lincoln school sites designs.

"Most of the things that caused your supplement this year were carry-forwards from 2023 that got finished up, in 2024."

Councilman Ted Fairbanks says he’s anticipating introducing a budget change in the next two-year plan…proposing the addition of more code enforcement staff…because of a high number of complaint responses.  "It gets to be a backlog in this, so at this time next year, hopefully when we pass a budget, I'm going to ask for an additional staff member for code enforcement."

In other action Monday night, the city council approved a one-year extension of the current police union contract between the city and Fraternal Order of Police local. Tempelmeyer says it makes some changes and grants a pay increase.  "We agreed to a three and a half percent increase in the wages. It does clean up some language in the contract in regard to those individuals who work eight-hour shifts, largely your school resource officers. It also cleans up some language in regard to individuals that leave employment and come back to us...within a year, and how you calculate their continuation of service."

The city council also approved a second extension of the closing date on takeover of the former Kensington Building, or Paddock Hotel in downtown Beatrice.
The date has now been extended to October 31st, when the city would take over the property from Main Street Beatrice…..later transferring ownership to Hoppe Development LLC. The company has plans to establish business space and senior living apartments in the multi-floor building, at 6th and Court.

Elected officials also approved the renaming of a street that accesses a new residential development in east Beatrice. The street, now South 26th….is being renamed as Crest Drive. The development area is on ground where the former Crest drive-in theatre was located, several years ago.