*Challenger Jennifer Justus defeated incumbent Jerry Nolte for the Presiding Commissioner seat.*

Clay County residents went to the polls on Tuesday, November 3, to decide on two county commission seats and Clay County Proposition A, which primarily focuses on increasing salaries and benefits for elected officials, including linking the Sheriff and Prosecuting Attorney salaries to state judge pay scales and offering health and retirement benefits to part-time County Commissioners.

In Kearney, residents also decided on Proposition P, a half-cent sales tax designed strictly to improve public safety and law enforcement. The revenue would primarily fund the recruitment and retention of qualified police officers, maintain minimum shift coverage, provide officer backup, and reduce the police department's reliance on overtime.

Clay County Commission Seats

Challenger Jennifer Justus defeated incumbent Jerry Nolte for the Presiding Commissioner seat. Justus received 55.65% of the vote in the race, compared with 43.37% for Jerry Nolte, a difference of twelve percentage points.

In the Eastern Commissioner contest, incumbent Jay Johnson won by a narrower margin, receiving 52.85% of the vote to Mark McAuliffe’s 46.41%, putting Johnson ahead by six percentage points.

Local Ballot Measures

The two ballot measures faced slightly wider margins. Clay County Proposition A drew 42.38% support, with 57.62% voting no, out of 94,035 votes. Kearney Proposition P finished an opposite split: out of 4,457 votes, 56.63% in were favor and 43.37% opposed.

Mayor Pogue thanked the residents of Kearney who participated in the election saying, “I want to thank everyone who took the time to vote and participate in the conversation about public safety in Kearney. We appreciate the trust our community has placed in us and recognize our responsibility to use these funds wisely. Our police officers work hard every day to keep Kearney safe, and this funding will help us continue supporting the people who serve and protect our community.”

Results in this report have not been officially certified by the Clay County Election Commissioners.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Kearney voters will once again decide whether to approve a half-cent sales tax dedicated to supporting the city’s police department.

The measure, known as Prop P, is scheduled to appear on the Nov. 3 ballot. If approved, the local public safety tax would help fund police staffing, competitive wages, overtime and additional safety needs for the Kearney Police Department. A similar initiative fell short by just 44 votes last year.

For shoppers, the increase would amount to 5 cents on a $10 purchase or 50 cents on a $100 purchase.

City officials say the need for additional funding remains unchanged since the proposal was last put before voters in 2024.

“Our needs haven’t decreased, just like every other city’s needs; expenses continue to go up,” said Colleen Doctorian, a communications representative for the city of Kearney.

Doctorian said revenue from the proposed tax would be directed toward officer pay and department safety, two areas city leaders have identified as priorities.

Retention is also a major reason the city is bringing the question back to voters. Doctorian said competitive salaries are necessary to keep experienced officers in Kearney and maintain public safety services.

“It is very important in order to retain officers we have to have funding to fund salaries and keep our officers safe,” Doctorian said.

Among voters, opinions on Prop P remain mixed. Opponents site inflation and the rising cost of everyday expenses as reasons why they are opposing the measure.

Kearney residents will go to the polls on November 3 to vote on Prop P.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story.