Gov. Ricketts speaks in Ogallala
By Jeff Headley
Keith County News
For the Grant Tribune-Sentinel
Gov. Pete Ricketts addressed property taxes, the proposed Perkins County Canal and broadband issues during a Tuesday, Sept. 20, town hall in Kathleen Lute Public Library in Ogallala.
Rickett’s appearance was partially to tout the state’s return of money through property tax credits.
Ricketts detailed the state’s Property Tax Credit Relief Fund, which has grown, and will continue to grow, substantially while still providing property taxpayers relief in the coming years.
The governor said about 40 percent of Nebraskans have not claimed those benefits on their tax returns, which amounted to 6 percent of school tax bills in 2020 and more than 25 percent in 2021. The school tax bills would include both local school property taxes and those asked from Mid-Plains Community College.
Ironically enough, those who didn’t file for the credits can still do so for 2020 and 2021. And, those who apply for the tax credit will receive an estimated 30 percent credit for 2022, which Ricketts called significant.
Ricketts said the program would give taxpayers about $600 back through the programs.
Forms for that tax credit are available at the state’s website. One of the only rubs on the program though is a form must be filled out for each parcel, so farmers and ranchers may have to fill out several, or even many, forms to obtain the credits for the parcels.
Canal and Water
Ricketts also addressed water issues, specifically the Perkins County Canal and the state’s desire to design and build the canal and a series of “holding reservoirs” that will meet the state’s needs for
drinking water, irrigation and the cooling required for Gerald Gentlemen Station, one of the state’s largest electricity producers. Water also satisfied the federal requirement to protect endangered species.
The Perkins County Canal is necessary infrastructure improvement needed for Nebraska to claim its water rights from a 1923 compact involving Colorado and Nebraska that was also approved by Congress, Ricketts said.
The pact requires Colorado to pass flows of 500 cubic feet per second down the South Platte River between Oct. 15 and April 1, the non-irrigation season, and 120 cfs during the irrigation season.
The only hook to this agreement is for Nebraska to collect the 500 cfs during the non-irrigation season, the Perkins County Canal must be built, thus the pressed effort for the Husker state to begin construction on the infrastructure.
Once that is in place, Colorado must abide by the pact and deliver 500 cfs per second to Nebraska through the Perkins County Canal.
The 120 cfs during the irrigation season must be delivered, regardless of whether the canal is built or not.
During the last session, the Legislature earmarked about $53 million to locate the canal and for its initial design. The state is looking at possible routes and is already contacting landowners for possible buyouts. The 1920s contract does allow for Nebraska to take land by eminent domain, in both Nebraska and Colorado, for the canal’s construction.
The Nebraska-Colorado agreement parallels the pact between Nebraska and Kansas, a pact Nebraska did not live up to in recent years, forcing Kansas to sue the Husker state. Nebraska wound up losing that case and had to make reparations to Kansas, forced to live up to the water deal made with the Jayhawk state.
The South Platte River has registered zero cfs at Roscoe for about a month now, although Twin Platte Natural Resources District General Manager Kent Miller said about 25 cfs is entering Nebraska through the Western Irrigation District canal.
Ricketts said the state has been documenting Colorado’s failure to live up to the water compact and will address that at a future date.
Ricketts said the Perkins County Canal is a 10-year project at an estimated cost of about $500 million. However, once finished, with a series of “holding reservoirs” built for storage purposes, it will allow state officials to time releases and provide the needed water to Husker residents, even those in the eastern part of the state.
The governor also address broadband issues and said the state is working to get all Nebraska households reliable internet. It is a process that will take some time and cost about $1 billion to get every household on line.
The governor, who has just a few months remaining before another governor will take his place, also touted this project as essential to the well-being of Nebraska residents.
The state’s plan calls for infrastructure that will be capable of 100 megabyte upload and 100 megabyte download. The state has already put in place about 20 percent of that $1 billion cost and will continue to work on that until the job is done.
Ricketts outlined a handful of programs the state is using, including offering incentives for internet infrastructure developers, to achieve its goal.