Frustration high during Grand Island Public Schools property tax hearing

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (KSNB) - The anger about Grand Island Public Schools’ around $44 million property tax request was very evident at Central Community College Monday night.

Several of the speakers during the hearing expressed frustration over the hike in home valuations, which have gone up at a record pace.

Home valuations in Hall County hit a historic mark this year, with a hike of 15.7%. That’s the second largest jump in 35 years according to GIPS’ Chief Financial Officer Virgil Harden.

Several speakers on Monday talked about how when their home valuations were done bedrooms and bathrooms were reported incorrectly in documents, and some also questioned the spending habits of the district.

“When’s enough, enough,” One speaker said. “You own the most beautiful real estate in the city, keeping buying it, I mean we can’t do that. Then when you build, you build with brick and glass, we’re living in sheds.”

For many speakers the night was highly emotional.

“This you guys know isn’t going to be the end, if this even goes through,” Another speaker said. “That’s half my wife’s annual salary, to pay taxes. What are we supposed to do, work till we’re 75, 80?”

GIPS Superintendent Matt Fisher told Local4 News prior to the meeting, most of that goes to the people with boots on the ground.

“Having the best possible staff members is the highest possible priorities for us,” Fisher said. “Because we know our staff members are who will really impact the education of the students that we serve, and we do want our public to understand that we want good teachers, we want good classified staff members, and in order to get those, we have to pay them.”

The one point of good news from the whole process is the GIPS tax levy has come down in the last year, this year it comes out to about a $1.13 per $100 of assessed value.

Last year it came out to about a $1.23 per $100 of assessed value, but that nearly 16% home valuation jump, means property taxes are on the rise for most of the district.

Copyright 2023 KSNB. All rights reserved.