Meeting Agenda
1. Open Meeting
2. Roll Call
3. Items of Business
3.A. Discussion on Municipal Equalization Funding 
3.B. Consider amending the Master Fee Schedule 
3.C. Discussion on Business Registration
4. Officers' Reports
5. Adjournment
Agenda Item Details Reload Your Meeting
Meeting: April 7, 2026 at 5:00 PM - Finance Committee Meeting
Subject:
1. Open Meeting
Rationale:
  • In accordance with Nebraska law, a copy of the Open Meetings Act can be found in the back of the Council Chambers.
  • Items listed on the agenda may be considered in any order.
Subject:
2. Roll Call
Rationale:
  • Attendance of members will be recorded to determine the presence of a quorum for official actions.
Subject:
3. Items of Business
Rationale:
  • The Committee may discuss or limit discussion on, hear testimony in favor of or in opposition to, or take action to provide a recommendation to the City Council on any matter presented under this title.
Subject:
3.A. Discussion on Municipal Equalization Funding 
Discussion:
City Administrator Tom Ourada explained that the Municipal Equalization Fund and as it is now we were notified that the City of Crete will lose 80% of funding. That’s almost $640,000 that we will lose next year. Ourada has talked with three state agencies on this and they have noted there is no authority to deviate from statute and changes would require going to the legislature. The City of Crete’s levy lowered a significant amount of over $0.06 last year. The changes in assessed values were raised considerably last year for residential property. We had a static budget that didn’t raise appreciably necessitating a joint public hearing or post card notification. Ourada stated that here is a case of us being significantly under the state average for property taxes penalizing us for very conservative spending. We are at $0.22 this year and to qualify for 100% MEF (Municipal Equalization Fund) we would have to be 28 ½ cents and that would be $0.065 cent levy increase. When we looked at it last year we had about $10,000 that wasn’t committed but $0.01 is about  $24,000. We couldn’t do anything with that $7,000. If we raised it by 6 ½ cents that would be like $160,000 that we would raise across the entire community. People would see that we are raising it because we would have to participate in the joint public hearing and we would have to send out the postcard. Ourada stated that we will have to do that no matter what. We have a few options to help get through year 1 and possibly year 2 if we raise the levy. If we don’t raise the levy then we would have to take very drastic measures fundamentally cutting about 18% of the budget.
Subject:
3.B. Consider amending the Master Fee Schedule 
Discussion:
City Administrator Tom Ourada explained that the amendments include adding some library services for the laser usage and the amendments for the solar and wind cogeneration avoided cost rates. 
Action(s):
Motion Carried:
Recommend to the City Council amending the Master Fee Schedule Carried with a motion by Dale Strehle and a second by Ashley Newmyer.
  • Kyle Frans: Aye
  • Ashley Newmyer: Aye
  • Dale Strehle: Aye
Attachments:
Subject:
3.C. Discussion on Business Registration
Discussion:
There was no time to have a discussion on Business Registration. 
Subject:
4. Officers' Reports
Rationale:
  • Reports may be given by the Mayor, Officers, Departments, or Councilmembers concerning the current operations of the City.
  • No action can be taken on matters presented under this title except to answer any questions or to refer the matter for further action.
Subject:
5. Adjournment

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