The only contested primary race for Lancaster County Commissioner has gotten heated.
Matt Schulte, one of two candidates challenging Republican incumbent Deb Schorr for the District 3 seat that covers the southern part of the county, says Schorr supported funding for Planned Parenthood based on the recommendation of an advisory committee to board members 18 years ago.
Schorr said the County Board has never funded Planned Parenthood, a point she made clear on a campaign mailer to counter Schulte's accusation.
“I am proud to say I’m a pro-life candidate, but this was an issue raised by him,†she said. “He’s been sharing falsehoods about my record for three months. I felt it was time to set the record straight.â€
Schulte, who is promoting himself as a candidate who represents conservative values, posted a screenshot of minutes from a 2004 County Board meeting on his Facebook page. The minutes include details of a vote on grants using keno funds. The vote was 5-0, including Schorr, to approve grants recommended by an advisory committee with the exception of Planned Parenthood.
The minutes also include mention of a motion by then-Commissioner Bob Workman to specifically deny the $3,000 grant to Planned Parenthood, which died for lack of a second. It’s unclear why Workman made the motion given that the grants approved unanimously by the board did not include Planned Parenthood.
Schorr served on the advisory board that made recommendations on agencies and projects to be funded, and the minutes indicate she told fellow commissioners that the advisory board discussed the Planned Parenthood request at length and ultimately decided the benefits of the group's work to train Latino advocates outweighed any negative perceptions.
Schorr said commissioners sit on a variety of advisory boards and it’s their job to report to the board what is discussed in those meetings. Advisory boards, she said, have no authority to allocate funds.
“Part of what we do is relay the discussion of the advisory group to the board so they are in a place to make a decision based on information the advisory board thought was of value.â€
Schulte said his Facebook post took issue with the fact that Schorr's campaign literature said she voted against funding for Planned Parenthood, when the board's vote in 2004 simply excluded the organization.
On his Facebook page, Schulte also accuses Schorr of removing the decade-old minutes from the County Board website.
Reached Tuesday, Lancaster County Administrator David Derbin said when the county hired a new company to design its webpage in 2019, the older minutes were moved from the County Board page to the county clerk’s site.
Schorr’s mailer says Schulte’s attacks “would be laughable if they weren’t so desperate and dishonest.†That prompted Schulte to send an email to supporters calling out what he said were “slanderous attacks on my character.â€
The other Republican candidate running in District 3 is Travis Filing, chairman of the Panama Village Board. There are no Democrats running, so the race will be decided in the primary.
Barney's new home
The County-City Building — home to city and county offices, the mayor, the City Council and County Board — is getting a new resident.
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His name is Barney and he’ll be around to make the home of city and county bureaucracy — as well as the neighboring county attorney’s office — more inviting.
Barney, a “white†golden Retriever, will come to the government building in July from Uplifting Paws, a nonprofit organization that trains therapy and service dogs.
Lancaster County Human Services Director Sara Hoyle said she was interested in getting a service dog for kids who come to the office. The office handles juvenile diversion cases for truancy or criminal offenses and also handles services before juveniles are put on probation.
“We wanted (a service dog) for diversion kids coming in the office, some who have experienced severe trauma,†Hoyle said. “We’re trying to make it as comfortable and inviting for families as possible.â€
The department is finalizing the contract with Uplifting Paws, Hoyle said, and she’s applied for a grant to cover the $5,000 cost.
Barney will also be available to the county attorney’s office to use when children have to come testify or talk with prosecutors, and for the police department’s victim-witness unit, and when the County Board wants a friendly face around.
Barney’s handler will be in the human services office, but people in other offices also will be trained to handle Barney.
“We’re already collecting Barney biscuits,†Hoyle said. “He is going to be so spoiled.â€
The Parks and Recreation Department is asking the public to complete a survey to help evaluate the need for more pickleball and tennis courts in the city's parks.
The popularity of pickleball and demand for courts from both pickleball and tennis players convinced the department it needed to create a master plan.
The survey, which asks tennis and pickleball players about where and how often they play, is the first step to create the master plan on where more courts need to be built or existing courts improved.
The survey is available through May 8 at . Printed copies are available at the Parks and Recreation offices, 3131 O St., all city recreation centers, or by calling 402-441-7847.
The city manages 19 parks that have tennis and pickleball courts.
Deb Schorr has been on the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners for 16 years. She was recently elected president of the Nebraska Association of County Officials. She has served in leadership positions with Westminster Presbyterian Church, Lincoln Southwest Boosters, Lincoln Community Playhouse, Maxey Elementary PTO, Homestead Girl Scouts and the Junior League of Lincoln.