Buffalo County Courthouse (Brian Neben, Central Nebraska Today)
KEARNEY — The Buffalo County Sheriff said that increased medical costs, more mental health resources and higher food prices were behind the need to transfer additional funds to the budget during the commissioners meeting on Tuesday, June 24.
Sheriff Neil Miller appeared during the meeting as there was a request to transfer $75,000 to the jail budget from the general miscellaneous fund to cover a shortage.
Miller said that it had been a “difficult” year due to increased medical expenses, higher food costs and more people being housed in the jail.
It was noted that inmates are coming into jail with more medical issues and are requiring more mental health resources. Miller said that this was a trend that have been seen at jails not just in Nebraska, but across the United States.
Miller said they have to meet the medical needs of the inmates housed in the county and its part of business when operating a jail.
The Buffalo County Commissioners approved the resolution to transfer the funds.
The 2022-2023 audit report was presented to the commissioners by Austin Hanke with Hayes CPA.
Hanke delivered an unmodified opinion, which is known as a clean opinion that the financial statements are fairly presented in all material respects and in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
It was noted the county’s cash assets are down, but this was due to spending of the American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funds.
Hanke also noted the budget figures were within favorable variances.
When asked by Commissioner Tim Higgins what the county’s grade would be. Hanke said he would judge it to be an “A or A minus.”
The next item was a decision on a vendor to supply postcards for the Property Tax Request Act public hearing notices.
Assessor Roy Meusch appeared and said the National Association of Counties (NACO) was putting together a plan for counties to have the pink postcards printed and were waiting on NACO for final approval. The commissioners approved NACOs lead on printing.
The commissioners also considered a contract update for Schneider Geospatial, a Geographic Information System (GIS) which is a computer system that analyzes and displays geographically referenced information.
Meusch appeared again and noted that the new system was lacking a sales comparison tool, which is by the Assessor’s Office daily. The new contract would include this needed tool.
The commissioners accepted the possible referral of a road vacation petition to the Highway Superintendent for consideration. It was noted that the petition had gained enough signatures to be considered.
The board approved a maintenance and webhosting website with Educational Service Unit (ESU) 10.
During the board of equalization meeting the commissioners approved motor vehicle exemption renewal application for Grace Fellowship and South Central Behavioral Services.
Permissive exemptions were also granted to Heather Santiago for Kearney’s Village and St. Teresa of Calcutta Newman Center.
Meusch appeared during this period with a three-year assessment plan for the Assessor’s Office. He noted in the recent past the office has been doing a thorough evaluation of residential property and squaring away the evaluations.
Meusch said in 2025 they plan to do the same for commercial property in the county.
During committee reports, Commissioner Dan Lynch said he attended a meeting in Odessa that included around 20 residents concerning a property in the unincorporated community.
Lynch said the owners of the property in question were in attendance and he said he felt like the meeting was productive.
Four Buffalo County employees were honored for their years of service and included: Brenda Rohrich – 38 years, Kathy Andrews – One Year, Delaney Behrendt – One Year and Braydon Finecy – One Year.
