How Candidates Plan to Cut Your Tax Bill

For residents in Bellevue, a key point of agreement between the candidates for mayor is that property taxes are too high. Both longtime Mayor Rusty Hike and challenger Kevin Pflager are promising to work toward lowering those rates. The core of their disagreement lies in their methods for achieving that relief and funding other city priorities, including improvements to the Olde Towne district.

Mayor Hike's strategy for generating the revenue needed for tax relief is built around the city's ability to attract visitors and outside business. He points to large-scale development, specifically the water park and the REACH project, as the foundation for this plan. According to Hike, these attractions bring in hotels and restaurants, and the money spent by visitors from other areas expands the city's tax base.

Hike believes this approach is the most direct route to reducing the financial burden on local homeowners. "When you're coming from out of state or outside the city, those people are leaving money here in your city, which allows you to start lowering your property taxes," he said.

Challenger Pflager argues for a more diversified plan for building a sustainable tax base. He said he would work to support the success of existing large projects, but he cautioned against depending on them as the sole solution for tax relief. "We have to do everything in our power to make sure it's a success," Pflager said of the water park. However, he added, "it is not going to be the sustainable, guaranteed, foolproof method to get these down," arguing instead for a strategy that also includes steady growth in sales tax.

On the topic of revitalizing the Olde Towne district, the candidates' plans are more aligned. Hike described improving the area as a priority, calling it the city's downtown. Pflager also supports improvements and suggested funding them through grants and loans to create a vibrant gathering place for residents on Friday nights.

Both men have faced questions regarding potential conflicts of interest. Residents have asked Hike, who owns a real estate business, if his company's interests could influence his decisions in office. Hike stated that it does not, and that he steps aside from votes involving projects near his properties when needed. "I do own some properties around town, but there's a lot of people who own some properties around town," he said.

Hike, in turn, has questioned Pflager's current role as a city planner for the neighboring city of Papillion, suggesting it could create a conflict. Pflager responded that his job is not to recruit development to Papillion and that developers usually select a site before his office is involved. He said he sees no potential conflicts as mayor.

The question of a public debate has also surfaced in the race. Pflager proposed one, and Hike said he would participate if an independent party organized it. "I'm certainly not afraid to debate anybody, but I want to make sure it's an unbiased debate and not some kind of hit job," Hike said. Pflager considered his request an official invitation, made in response to a Facebook post Hike wrote about him.

Voters will ultimately choose between two different visions for funding the city's operations. Hike's plan centers on continued large-scale development to expand the tax base from outside visitors, while Pflager advocates for a broader approach to building sustainable tax revenue.