LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha think tank says unfunded mandates are a key driver of Nebraska's property taxes, but they're difficult to track and elected officials can easily blame them on someone else.
The Platte Institute for Economic Research said in a report Wednesday that unfunded state mandates account for 7.2 percent of Douglas County's expenses, 9.2 percent of Butler County's and 8.1 percent of Sheridan County's. Counties generate most of their revenue through property taxes.
Dick Clark, the group's research director, says those estimates are conservative because state mandates are often combined with other local budget items, which makes them harder to track.
Clark says the mandates also allow state and local government officials to blame one another for expenses, making it harder to hold either accountable.
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