County Commissioner District 4
Scott Pekarek
Address: Garland
Registered party: Republican
Note: Pekarek's responses were not included in the paper because of a mistyped email address. They are included here.
You have held elected office in the past. How will your experience help you in the office of county commissioner?
Having 20 years of board experience from school board to SID#1 to Seward County Planning and Zoning board has given me the experience to work with other board members to research, analyze and work through discussions to achieve positive results, focusing on what is best for Seward County.
At a recent meeting, the board discussed ways to educate the public about the county’s budget and tax processes. How would you go about informing the public about these two very important areas?
Anytime a taxing entity can provide transparency into the inner workings of how the taxpayers’ dollars are spent is a good thing.
Using Washington D.C. as an example, the public is moving towards a feeling of distrust of government in general.
Engaging the public to be more involved through county government could use social media and community informational meetings of the budget and tax process. Having these meetings in each of the towns and villages in Seward County and scheduling these meetings at times in the evening when the public can attend and not have to take off work to be informed.
List two areas you would like to focus on if elected, why they are important to you and what your plans are to address them.
Roads and property taxes. Plan to work with the roads department, to learn what are best practices for maintaining roads. Asking questions of the road employees who are doing the work, embracing input from the employees when it comes to road maintenance and assisting in making common sense changes where change is needed.
While campaigning for commissioner, the two most common topics of discussion from the public were roads and property taxes.
Explaining to the public that the county is the collection agent; however, the majority of the property taxes do not go to the county, majority of the taxes on a taxpayer’s statement are collected for the school districts, ESU6 and SCC within the county. Plan to work with the school districts, ESU6 and SCC
to see if there are any duplicated services that the school districts, ESU6, SCC and the county would benefit in a cost share to help lower the levy for Seward County, the school districts, ESU6 and SCC.
With the ever-increasing property valuations, it is even more important to lower the levy to decrease the burden on the taxpayer.
John Culver
Address/town: Milford
Registered party: Republican
You have held elected office in the past. How will your experience help you in the office of county commissioner?
As I have experience it is valuable during budget making processes having acquired knowledge of the departments and how they run along with understanding needs they have or can be put off for another time. Experience in working with state government for aid and working to help them understand the needs and views of their constituents back home. Experience in working with surrounding counties on projects to help the citizens of both when we can combine forces to acquire aid on road or bridge projects. To be a good representative of the people takes time just the same as any job you need to get experience to make things better. Over my years have heard from many of my constituents and always answer my emails and emails to be a voice for them as they are the ones that elect me to represent them and their values. Further things I do as current commissioner are:
• I’ve been chosen to be a presenter at statewide commissioner presentations
• I advocate for county residents at Nebraska Legislature
• I serve on many committees,
• I chair the Seward/Saline solid waste agency
• I chair the Seward County 911 Board
• I serve as President of Blue Valley Community Action Board
• Serve on the Local Emergency Planning Committee
• Liason to CASA ( Court Appointed Special Advocate)
• Liason to Emergency Manger
• Liason to County Clerk
• Liason to the Veteran Service Officer and also a Marine Veteran
• Liason to the Courts and Judges
• Active observer of the Planning and Zoning Board
At a recent meeting, the board discussed ways to educate the public about the county’s budget and tax processes. How would you go about informing the public about these two very important areas?
Educating the public about how their tax dollars are utilized is an ongoing process. I at every chance try to explain where the requests come from for the yearly funding requests from county departments and schools, and our ability and control as to how we have to find dollars for is set by state statutes and regulations. I also always try to explain or point them to places to get informed as to how their tax bill is decided, from the assessor down to the levy, things that the state controls and we have no say in.
List two areas you would like to focus on if elected, why they are important to you and what your plans are to address them.
My main focus has always been number one control of government growth both by taxes and physical department unneeded expansion. I also am always concerned with the roads and the expenditures they use and where they are spent. We have a limited amount of funds and always working to stretch them and get the best deal for the long term repairs and upkeep of the rural gravel road system. My background in construction aids me in understanding the equipment and usage of it to keep down over spending on things that are better served via private business. Same with my construction background understanding the upkeep of buildings and able to add guidance when repairs are needed and keep ahead of maintaining what we have as to not let it deteriorate which would cost more down the road.
