Middle Republican NRD to adjust occupation tax

CURTIS, Nebraska -- A software error will force Middle Republican Natural Resources District board members to adjust the 2011 occupation tax accordingly.

They will discuss the change during a regular monthly meeting Tuesday, 1:45 p.m., at the Curtis Memorial Community Center. The request to change the tax to 4.90 cents, from 4.78 cents per $100 valuation, comes after the MRNRD staff was informed that there was a miscalculation by the software used to determine the tax.

"We work with [Nebraska Association of County Officials] software which pulls numbers, and it made a mistake on the first go round," said Dan Smith, MRNRD Manager. "It's [an adjustment] from 4.78 to 4.90."

The tax covers the budget, excluding salaries, for the MRNRD.

Also being discussed is a Request to Intervene to the Department of Natural Resources by the MRNRD in response to a petition filed by four citizens.

The citizens live within the MRNRD and are challenging the surface- and groundwater controls within the MRNRD IMP.

"In order to take part in the hearing, you have to file a Request to Intervene with the department," said Smith. "Regardless of the position of [those on the board] the MRNRD needs to be in this process."

According to the DNR website, the four citizens filing the petition are Claude L. Cappel, Tom Kiplinger, Roger Goltl, and Jerda Garey, all of McCook. Cappel and Kiplinger are also listed as plaintiffs in a separate lawsuit against a previous occupation tax against the MRNRD.

According to Smith, the DNR has yet to set a date on the hearing.

Other items on the agenda are approval of the financial report for November 2010; any new information on the occupation tax challenge from the Nebraska Supreme Court; the open forum; reports from the various agencies, associations, and meetings; and reports about the ground water management, programs, and general operations.