Man files complaints questioning legality of city’s Lincoln on the Move ads

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — A ballot measure to renew Lincoln on the Move, a quarter-cent sales tax for street improvements, is drawing new controversy.

Some Lincolnites are raising questions about the legality of two ads, including one featuring Lincoln Fire Chief Dave Engler.

The ads are paid for by the City of Lincoln.

“A vote against means no more funds from commuters,” one of the ads said. “A vote for will not raise your taxes, and commuters still pay. Learn more at LincolnontheMove.com.”

Andy Ringsmuth and his wife first noticed that ad while watching TV earlier this week.

“We both kind of looked at ourselves and thought, ‘Wait a minute. This doesn’t seem right. Why? How is it right for the city or for the fire chief to be openly advocating for — call it a tax increase or call it a ballot measure?'” Ringsmuth said. “It didn’t seem right.”

Ringsmuth said he looked into state law and believes the ads violate the Nebraska Political Accountability and Disclosure Act.

That law prohibits the use of public resources for campaigning against for or against a candidate or ballot measure.

Ringsmuth said he filed two complaints with the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission this week: one against Engler and one against Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird.

“It just doesn’t seem right to me to have our public officials getting a paycheck from the taxpayer to be advocating for or against something us taxpayers will be voting on,” Ringsmuth added. “It just rubbed me the wrong way.”

The mayor’s chief of staff told Channel 8 in a statement, “The City’s public education effort is just that, public education. The ads were reviewed at every step in the process by the City Law Department to ensure we were following all relevant state statutes.”

David Hunter, interim executive director of the with the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission, told Channel 8 earlier this week that he can only comment on the existence of complaints if the commission finds that a violation occurred.

A Channel 8 reporter reached out him again Friday afternoon to ask his opinion on the legality of the ads but did not receive a response.

Lincolnites will vote on the sales tax renewal in the April 8 primary.