Nebraska county to seek state help paying $28.1M judgment

[TexasTowelie]

LINCOLN, Neb. — Residents of a small Nebraska county that owes $28.1 million to six people wrongfully convicted of a 1985 rape and murder will seek a bailout from the state now that their appeals are nearly exhausted, but some lawmakers aren't interested in helping them avoid a big property tax increase.

Community leaders in Gage County plan to ask lawmakers and Gov. Pete Ricketts for state funding or a loan to help pay the civil judgment owed to the former inmates, known as the Beatrice Six. They served a combined 70 years in prison for the slaying of 68-year-old Helen Wilson before being released a decade ago.

Gage County Supervisors voted last month to raise the county's property tax levy by 11.76 cents per $100 of valuation, the highest they can go without submitting the issue to voters. The higher tax will generate about $3.8 million next year.

For the owner of a $150,000 home, the increase amounts to an extra $177 in taxes annually. Land-rich farmers who have already seen their property taxes soar would pay substantially more at a time when low grain prices have squeezed their margins.

Read more: https://siouxcityjournal.com/news/state-and-regional/nebraska/nebraska-county-to-seek-state-help-paying-m-judgment/article_53edd099-f139-5544-89e7-73f41d6ee351.html