We are already hearing a Lancaster County Commissioner predict a property tax increase when next year’s budget session rolls around. The County Commissioners have worked hard to prevent a tax increase in recent years. I know how hard they work; I meet with them on a regular basis. However, there are always common sense solutions when looking to avoid a tax increase. Below is the testimony that LIBA presented a few weeks ago to the County Commissioners. I hope you agree that this is a common sense solution.
The Lincoln Independent Business Association (LIBA) supports moving the retirement match for non-union Lancaster county employees and elected officials from 150% to a still generous 100% retirement match.
In 2012 LIBA worked with the County Board and Lincoln’s State Senators to pass LB 687. This statutory amendment enabled the county to move from a 150% retirement match to a 100% retirement match. LIBA supported this legislation as a measure to control personnel costs and to bring public taxpayer funded retirement benefits in line with private sector benefits. It is simply inequitable to demand taxpayers fund retirement benefits more generous than those earned by most employees in the private sector.
Since LB 687 passed in 2012 the County has negotiated four of its five employee unions from a 150% match to a 100% match. It is now appropriate to move the non-union employees to a similar 100% retirement match.
For the past several years the Lancaster County budget has faced significant funding shortfalls and County Commissioners have turned to one time monies to fill gaps. With personnel costs accounting for over half of the County’s General Fund budget the County must control personnel costs in order to control its budget. Though immediate savings from this change will be small, it is the first step towards future savings and maintaining a responsible county budget.
Therefore, LIBA supports changing the retirement match for non-union employees from 150% to 100% as a necessary step to bring county benefits in line with private sector retirement benefits and create future savings to help balance the county budget.
Finally, I would like to invite you to become a LIBA member. We have a luncheon on the third Monday of every month. We average 180 business and community leaders who attend and we would like you to be one of them. We have at least two other free networking events every month. LIBA has several important committees that are standing up for small business every day. We monitor the City Council and work on legislative bills at the state capitol to help foster a pro-business mindset. And of course we work to try and keep your taxes and regulation to a reasonable level.
For more information on joining LIBA, please call me at (402) 466-3419. Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving.
by Coby Mach, President & CEO
Lincoln Independent Business Association
402-466-3419
LIBA studies and promotes these types of issues that are important to businesses and our community. If you have an interest in joining LIBA, please call me at 466-3419. LIBA membership is not restricted to just businesses. We also have “individual” memberships for those who want to help influence our local government decisions.