Northeast Community College approves next years budget - KTIV News 4 Sioux City IA: News, Weather and Sports

Northeast Nebraska residents have another piece to their 2013 property taxes in place.

The Northeast Community College Board of Governors approved their 2013 fiscal budget Thursday afternoon.

The Board approved a total budget just over $83 million, just over half of which is funded with property taxes. School officials say this year's tax levy has gone up slightly to about 9.8 cents per hundred dollars of valuation.

That means someone with a $100,000 house will pay just over $98 in property taxes to the school, up about three dollars from last year.

This was the first budget hearing presided over by new president Dr. Michael Chipps, who said he was impressed by the administration's ability to craft a responsible budget.

"When we put this budget together and recommended it to the Board, we felt confident that we were careful with it. We were responsible to bring that forward and we're going to be held accountable through those priorities," said Dr. Michael Chipps, NECC President.

School administrators say the rise in the tax levy is due mostly to the rise in the day-to-day costs of operating the school.

Thursday's hearing marked the final piece in the property tax puzzle for residents of Norfolk.

All-told, between city, county and school levies Norfolk residents are paying more or less the same as they paid last year, if not slightly less.