NACO's 35th Annual County Board Workshop
February 6-8,2013
Holiday Inn,
Kearney, NE
NWCA 66th Annual Conference
February 12-13, 2013
Ramada Inn,
Kearney, NE
NACo's 2013 Legislative Conference
March 2-6, 2013
Washington Hilton,
Washington D.C.
Northeast District County Officials Meeting
March 15, 2013
Lifelong Learning Center,
Norfolk, NE
Central District County Officials Meeting
March 21, 2013
Hastings Hotel,
Hastings, NE
Panhandle District County Officials Meeting
March 27, 2013
Community Center,
Bridgeport, NE
Nebraska Weed Control Superintendents' Spring Training
April 2-3, 2013
Central Community College,
Hastings, NE
To view all upcoming events click here
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 Associate and Sustaining Members
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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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Register Now For 2013 County Board Workshop |
The 35th annual County Board Workshop sponsored by NACO for all Nebraska county commissioners and supervisors will be held in Kearney on February 6-8, 2013. Commissioners and supervisors planning to attend the workshop are encouraged to begin registering online here. Educational sessions covering a variety of topics will be presented on Thursday and Friday. In addition, an orientation session is scheduled on Wednesday afternoon covering basic information pertinent to newly elected commissioners and supervisors. A tentative agenda may be viewed by clicking here.
Tentative plans call for the previously mentioned newly elected commissioners and supervisors orientation to begin at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The workshop will begin at 7:00 p.m. with a review of legislation and an introduction of NACO County Board Committee members. Following a breakfast buffet on Thursday morning, plans for Thursday's agenda tentatively include general session for all board members from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., followed by break out sessions in the afternoon. General session will again be the order of the morning on Friday. The workshop will conclude at approximately 11:30 a.m. and a box lunch will be provided. Attendees will be able to take their lunch with them as they leave the workshop or enjoy it leisurely in an informal atmosphere with their peers before heading home.
The advance registration is the same as last year-$80.00 for those registering no later than January 25. After January 25, the fee increases to $90.00. Please note that there is no per-day or per-session fee and that all attendees will be required to wear their name tags to gain entrance to workshop events. Additional meal tickets may be purchased at the registration desk during the workshop.
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Holiday Inn at the rate of $82.95/single/double. If you have not made reservations, you are encouraged to do so by contacting the Holiday Inn at (308)237-5971. When making lodging reservations, be sure to indicate you will be attending the NACO County Board Workshop to receive the contracted rate. |
National Association of Counties to Hold 2013 Legislative Conference in Washington |  NACo's Legislative Conference is the perfect time to get empowered and engaged! While getting educated about current issues affecting your daily lives you also have incredible opportunity for outreach to the administration and federal agencies. NACo has adjusted the 2013 schedule to incorporate more time to advocate for county government! On Monday, March 4, attendees will hear from featured speaker Bob Woodward, associate editor of The Washington Post. His most recent book, The Price of Politics (September, 2012), is based on 18 months of reporting and is an intimate, documented examination of how President Obama and the highest profile Republican and Democratic leaders in the United States Congress attempted to restore the American economy. Go to the NACo Legislative Conference web page for all the information you need to view the schedule and register by clicking here! |
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2012 tax rates and tax levies for all 93 Nebraska counties can now be viewed on the Nebraska Department of Revenue, Property Assessment Division's website. Click here to view this information. |
2013 NACO Institute of Excellence | | The 2013 NACO Institute of Excellence is open to all elected and appointed county officials. Deadline for registrations is February 15, 2013. To register click here. For additional information, contact the NACO office at (402) 434-5660. |
NACO Scholarship Application Due March 1, 2013 |
Nebraska high school seniors who are the children, stepchildren, or under the legal guardianship of county officials or employees are encouraged to apply for one of twelve $1,000.00 NACO scholarships. Additional information and the downloadable application can be found under the 'Services' tab on the NACO website. The scholarship application deadline is March 1, 2013. To access the application, click here. |
Legal Line | |
Editor's Note: Legal Line is a feature that will periodically appear in NACO E-Line. This edition has been prepared by Beth Ferrell of the NACO legal staff. 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.
County Attorney Service on Mental Health Board
An elected part-time county attorney is not prohibited from simultaneously serving as the appointed chair of a mental health board in another county according to an ethics advisory opinion issued by the Lawyers' Advisory Committee appointed by the Nebraska Supreme Court.
A lawyer sought the advisory opinion on whether he would be disqualified by conflict of interest rules or any other rules of professional conduct from serving in both capacities.
The Advisory Committee reviewed the duties of county attorneys and the requirements of the Mental Health Commitment Act. The Committee concluded that an attorney serving as a county attorney acts as an advocate for the state when presenting cases before a mental health board. An attorney serving as the chair of a mental health board is a fact-finder performing an adjudicative function on behalf of a government entity. Although the attorney could not prosecute a petition to a mental health board of which he is chairman, he is not prohibited from acting as county attorney in one county and a mental health board chair in another county in case that does not involve the same individuals.
The full text of the opinion, No. 12-12, is located here. |
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Effective January 1, 2013, the State of Nebraska has increased the mileage rate to be used in reimbursing State employees for use of a personal vehicle in conducting State business. To read more, click here. |
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January 2013 marks the 17th anniversary of the abduction and murder of 9-year old Amber Hagerman and the creator of the the AMBER Alert Program, a partnership between law enforcement, broadcasters, state transportation agencies, and other stakeholders with the purpose of issuing AMBER Alerts - emergency bulletins - to the public when a missing/abducted child is determined to be in imminent danger. AMBER Alerts have led to the safe recovery of 602 abducted children to date.
To read more, click here. |
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The NACO 2013 Directory of County Officials is now available. The directory is an annual publication that provides names and addresses for elected and appointed county officials in the state. A directory is available for $17.00 if non-taxable and $18.00 if taxable. To order, click here. |
2012 County Board Handbook and Revisions Now Available |
The 2012 County Board Handbook and related revisions are available now. The cost for a current handbook, including legislative information from the 2012 session, is $80.00/book plus $15.45 shipping and handling per book. The 2012 Supplement to the County Board Handbook is available for $20.00 plus $5.00 shipping and handling. You may contact Wendy Kelly by clicking here or call her at (402) 434-5660 ext. 223 to place an order to receive your new book and/or supplement. |
County Government Day PowerPoint Available |
The PowerPoint presentation is now available electronically at no charge (sent via e-mail) 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 and can be customized by each county. CD's are also available for $10.00 each to cover processing, shipping and handling. To request the County Government Day PowerPoint electronically, please e-mail your request to larrydix@nacone.org. The order form is available here. |
News from NACo | |
Cybersecurity Threats Abound, and Not Just To Your Data
Understanding the nature of cybersecurity threats, and how employees can unknowingly aid them, goes a long way to protecting county IT systems. To read more, click here.
Receive National Recognition for Your County's Program
Applications for the 2013 Achievement Award Program are now available online. Receive national recognition for your county's innovative local government program through NACo. To apply and learn more, click here.
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News Across the State | |
Links are to outside sources and may not be available indefinitely.
Hastings Tribune, 1/12/2013
Grand Island Independent, 1/18/2013
Grand Island Independent, 1/19/2013
North Platte Telegraph, 1/23/2013
Grant Tribune Sentinel, 1/24/2013
Fremont Tribune, 1/24/2013 |
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