One of the biggest problems facing states today is empire building. Empire building is the mentality of growing governmental entities without regard for the best interests of the community or the interests of private taxpaying citizens. Many managers of governmental entities and directors of state agencies view their mission in terms of expanding the reach of their organization, and that is not good when it hurts the community or affects the standard of living of their constituency. So, today I would like to expose the latest example of this kind of empire building that is affecting folks living in Western Nebraska.
The Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District (CNPPID) is a political subdivision of the State of Nebraska which was created for the purpose of developing the state’s irrigation and electrical power needs for those living in south-central Nebraska. However, they are also committed to building and expanding their own empire. This is clearly evident through their own vision statement which reads in part, “…by becoming a national and worldwide leader in the area of integrated water resource management.” Missing from their mission and vision statements is any kind of commitment to fiscal responsibility or frugality for the taxpayers.
Recently CNPPID purchased approximately 1,050 acres of land on the south side of Lake McConaughy in Keith County for the purpose of shoreline erosion control. Purchasing this land by a political sub-division of the State means that the property will soon be taken off of the tax rolls. Whenever properties are taken off the tax rolls, it means that private landowners will have to make up the difference in lost tax revenue. In other words, those living near Lake McConaughy will soon see their property taxes go up even more. This is a problem because over the past seven years, I have received more phone calls concerning out-of-control property taxes from folks living at or near Lake McConaughy than anywhere else in Western Nebraska.
