Contract approval given, on Beatrice reappraisal work

BEATRICE – Gage County has approved a contract with the technology division of the Nebraska Association of County Officials, for reappraisal of Beatrice property.

The contract with Multi-County Information and Programming Services, known as MIPS, totals nearly $367,000….for reappraisal of residential and commercial properties. The county’s board of equalization approved the contract, Wednesday.

Board Chairman Erich Tiemann says the county is getting some early feedback as MIPS personnel undertake the process of looking at properties.

"MIPS is out. The other day when it was cold, they're sticking stickers on doors saying, sorry we missed you."

County Assessor Patti Milligan says officials have been able to meet with some property owners personally. Using a Q-R code on a notice, property owners can fill out a questionnaire or talk directly to someone in person.

"We can help fill that questionnaire out. So, if they call us and let us know, on the questionnaire, what this means or that means, then we can help them fill that out."

The Beatrice work is the final part of a reappraisal that began with smaller communities and acreages across Gage County.

"We have the information, pretty much, on the record cards. The things that have happened over the years with the storms and things like that...new windows have gone in....things that we used to call maintenance, you know...a new roof, what those cost now.....so we do a lot of site (work) looking at properties."

Counties submit preliminary valuations to the State of Nebraska by mid-March.

"And, if we have something wrong, we can do a tax correction...a correction versus a protest. I mean, say we put a finished basement on it. That's the whole thing that kind of troubles me with the way we do this....is, that if you're not getting into the houses, how do you really know what exactly is there?"

Recently, county officials heard a presentation about the MIPS technology used in reappraisal, and approval of a formal contract was suggested. The goal is better equalization of property and overall fairness of the process.