Associate and Sustaining Members |
NACO Associate and Sustaining Members enable NACO to enhance its continuing education programs for county officials across the state. Visit NACO's complete associate and sustaining membership list here.
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Education Foundation Memorial Program | |
A gift to NACO's Education Foundation ensures that the children of county officials and county employees are eligible to apply for scholarships to continue their education at Nebraska's higher learning institutions. Whatever their passion - history, art, music, science, education, sports - the NACO Education Foundation will provide them an opportunity to fund their education beyond the K-12 level. Memorial gifts to NACO's Education Foundation are tax deductible and will be a lasting legacy in honor of your loved one's commitment to educating the children of Nebraska's county officials and employees. For more information about how to make a memorial gift, please contact Larry Dix / 402-434-5660 ext. 226. |
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Nebraska PSC Announces Wireless 911 Funding |
The funding for the 2012-2013 funding year from the Wireless 911-SAM is due to the Public Service Commission no later than April 15, 2012, for each PSAP to be eligible for funding in the coming fiscal year. Be sure to include call ratio information for a 12-month period with your filing.
To access the application for funding click here and then click on "PSAP Application.
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Legal Line |
Editor's Note: Legal Line is a feature that will periodically appear in NACO E-Line. In this edition, the article on Learning Comunity Levies has been prepared by Beth Ferrell, a member of the NACO legal staff. Following the first article is an article prepared by Elaine Menzel, also a member of the NACO legal staff, regarding Proposed Changes Relating to Guardians Ad Litem. Legal Line is not intended to serve as legal advice. Rather, it is published to alert readers to court decisions and legal or advisory matters important to county government. For a specific opinion on how the information contained in this article or that which will be discussed in future issues relates to your county, consult your county attorney or personal counsel.
Constitutionality of Learning Community Levies
A recent Nebraska Supreme Court decision on the constitutionality of Learning Community levies provides a concise review of some of the rules of statutory interpretation. While the language below is quoted directly from Trumble v. Sarpy County Board, 283 Neb. 486, ___ Neb. ___ (2012), numerous other cases are cited within Trumble as authority for the legal principles. For brevity, those case citations have been omitted here.
- In the absence of anything to the contrary, statutory language is to be given its plain and ordinary meaning.
- When the Legislature provides a specific definition for purposes of a section of an act, that definition is controlling.
- When considering a series or collection of statutes pertaining to a certain subject matter, which statutes are in pari materia, they may be conjunctively considered and construed to determine the intent of the Legislature, so that different provisions of the act are consistent and sensible. To the extent there is a conflict between two statutes on the same subject, a specific statute prevails over a general statute.
- In enacting an amendatory statute, the Legislature is presumed to have known the preexisting law.
- We [the Court] presume that the meaning of a statute does not change unless the Legislature changes its text.
For the full text of the case, click here.
Notice of Comment Period About Proposed Changes Relating to Guardians Ad Litem
The Nebraska Supreme Court has posted rule revisions to the duties and compensation sections of the Guidelines for Guardians Ad Litem for Juveniles in Juvenile Court Proceedings. Read the amendments, which were suggested by the Nebraska Supreme Court Commission on Children in the Courts.
The first change would limit the number of juveniles who can be represented by a guardian ad litem in all juvenile court proceedings at any one time to 60. The other changes relate to the compensation for guardians ad litem. The changes to the compensation provisions would provide that the guardian ad litems for juveniles be compensated for services for an hourly fee rather than a flat-fee scale. Additionally, guardians ad litem for juveniles would be required to prepare and submit for approval by the court a detailed billing statement of hours expended and services rendered in each juvenile case.
The Court invites interested persons to comment on these proposed amendments. Anyone desiring to comment should do so in writing to the office of the Clerk of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, P.O. Box 98910, Lincoln, NE 68509-8910, or via e-mail to Lanet Asmussen no later than June 1, 2012. |
Nationwide/NACo 2012 Scholarship |
Nationwide will give four NACo college scholarships-each worth $2,000 to four high school seniors whose parent or grandparent participates in NACo's 457 Deferred Compensation Plan. Throughout their 32-year relationship, Nationwide and NACo have been committed to helping you plan for your retirement as well as your family's future!
Deadline for application is April 16, 2012.
Click here for additional information.
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Walk For Your Life Challenge 2012 |
As spring is beginning to make an appearance, it is time to start preparing for this year's Walk For Your Life Challenge, which will begin June 4 and end September 30, 2012. An e-mail was sent to all county clerks and last year's contact persons with the details of the challenge. If you would like information on participating, please contact your county's designated contact person or Wendy Kelly at the NACO office.
We encourage participation from all 93 counties. This is a fun challenge that will pay dividends on your health!
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Nebraska Crime Commission Grant Announcements |
2011 Title V Delinquency Prevention Grant
Deadline: April 13, 2012
2011 Juvenile Accountability Block (JABG) Grant
Deadline: April 23, 2012
2012 Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Grant
Deadline: April 26, 2012
Detailed information, instructions, and applications can be found on the Nebraska Crime Commission's Announcements & Applications webpage.
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Technical Assistance Partnership Releases Juvenile Justice Publications |
The Technical Assistance Partnership for Child and Family Mental Health (TA Partnership) has released three new publications to help communities meet the mental and behavioral health needs of youth in the juvenile justice system.
For more information on the new publications click here.
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Updated County Government Day PowerPoint CD Available |
An updated PowerPoint presentation is available on CD for use by counties during their annual County Government Day. The PowerPoint provides a comprehensive look at county government functions in the State of Nebraska. The CD is customizable and is available for $10 to cover processing, shipping and handling. The order form is available here.
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2012 Directory of County Officials |
The order form for the NACO 2012 Directory of County Officials is available here or on the NACO website. Each directory is $17 if tax-exempt or $18 if taxable.
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News Across the State |
Links are to outside sources and may not be available indefinitely
Commissioners Adopt Stricter Tobacco-Free Policy
Gothenburg Times, 3/9/12
Keep Government Open, Accountable
Omaha World Herald, 3/12/12
Hall County Board Not Ready To Call For County Sales Tax - Yet
Grand Island Independent, 3/12/12
Johnson County Wind Farm A Step Closer To Reality
Lincoln Journal Star, 3/14/12
County Adopts PTO Plan
Lexington Clipper-Herald, 3/16/12
Counties Trying Out Mail-In Voting
Grand Island Independent, 3/17/12
Tribland Officials Emphasize Transparency, Look Past Poor Grades
Hastings Tribune, 3/17/12
Mail-In Election Costs More
The Chadron Record, 3/20/12
Old Dakota County Jail To Close April 16
Dakota County Star, 3/21/12
Legislative Bill Would Reduce Lancaster County Retirement Match
Lincoln Journal Star, 3/23/12
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News from NACo |
National County Government Month
National County Government Month, celebrated each April, provides an outstanding opportunity for you to talk proudly about programs and services that help the residents of your county.
The theme this year is Healthy Counties, Healthy Families.
To see all the resources provided by NACo to help you plan activities, click here.
NACo 2012 Western Interstate Region Conference
Santa Fe County, New Mexico is hosting NACo's 2012 Western Interstate Region (WIR) Conference, May 16-18, 2012.
NACo's WIR Conference focuses on public lands and other issues critical to the western region of the United States. This year's conference will feature Dr. Lowell Catlett, a regent's professor/dean and chief administrative officer at New Mexico State University's College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. An exciting futurist, Catlett's knowledge of technologies and their implications on the way Americans live and work is addressed in his upbeat presentations.
For additional information about the conference and to register, click here.
County Government Works Survey
We want to measure the success of NACo President Glen Whitley's 2010 - 2011 Presidential Initiative - County Government Works, the goal of which was to raise public awareness and understanding of county government. Materials and information were placed on NACo's website as part of the initiative to help county officials to participate. To help us measure the involvement of county officials and staff in the initiative, please follow the link below to answer four short questions.
Please follow this link to the Survey: Take the Survey
We would like to have all responses by Friday, March 30. Thank you for your participation and membership in NACo.
Apply for a 2012 Arts and Culture Award
Has your county used arts, culture or historic preservation to address a particular issue or recently completed a project that preserves arts and culture in the community? If so, now is the time to submit an application for the 2012 NACo Arts and Culture Award and be recognized. Applications are due April 13. For more information and to apply click here.
Apply now for 2012 County Courthouse Awards
Applications for the 2012 NACo County Courthouse Awards program are now available. Sponsored by Siemens, the awards recognize innovative governance by individual county elected officials from NACo-member counties. Award winners will receive an engraved plaque that they can display in their county, recognition at the 2012 NACo Annual Conference and a $5,000 college scholarship to present to a graduating high school senior. Applications must be submitted online by April 27.
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NACo Web-based Education |
Kentucky Justice Reform: Enhancing Public Safety and Improving Performance
Thursday, March 29, 2012
1:00 PM - 2:15 PM CDT
In 2011 Kentucky passed the Public Safety and Offender Accountability Act, a justice reform law to address growing jail and prison populations. To reduce recidivism, the law strengthens probation and parole and established mechanisms for measuring progress over time. This webinar will provide and examination of Kentucky's process for implementation of the law, the effects on counties and what role they play in overall reform efforts.
County Operated Senior Care Facilities: Reposition, Re-Engineer or Retreat? Thursday, April 19, 2012 1:00 PM - 2:15 PM CDT
Within the context of health reform and significant financial pressures, counties are revisiting how to provide senior health care services in a high quality, cost-effective manner. This webinar is designed for counties that continue to operate and fund long term care centers. Learn about ways your county can address the challenges inherent in providing senior health services by implementing innovative strategies to provide quality care that can also offer fiscal relief to your county.
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