Board of Equalization still hearing CREP concerns

    With Tax Equalization and Review Committee (TERC) hearings coming 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 not to give the refund since the land was ruled on as part of the TERC hearings.
    Dinnel had also previously presented five sales to the BOE for its 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 chose 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.

To view more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition. https://etypeservices.com/Imperial%20RepublicanID359/