Urban whining starts when shoe’s on the other foot

Taxpayers in rural school districts with soaring property values have been stuck holding the bag.

For the last eight to 10 years, our urban neighbors in Nebraska couldn’t give a damn about skyrocketing ag land valuations that have spiked rural property tax bills. But when they were asked to share some of the pain, they would have nothing of it.
    In Chase County, ag land values have increased more than 215  percent over the last 10 years, resulting in higher rural property taxes. Can you imagine the screams coming from Lincoln and Omaha if that had occurred there?
    Last week, the Legislature debated LB 640, a bill that would have shifted funds in the Property Tax Relief Fund to state aid for schools.
    Taxpayers in rural school districts with soaring property values have been stuck holding the bag.
    In the broken, 27-year-old state aid formula, high property values mean more local ability to pay for our schools; in other words—higher local property taxes.

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