Should Madison County Expand Its Board?

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NORFOLK - A proposed legislative bill is looking to change the process of expanding county boards in Nebraska.
LB411 was introduced by Senator Jim Scheer, and would allow for a county board of commissioners to vote to place the question on the ballot regarding the number of commissioners on the board. Currently, the only way the question can be placed is by a citizen petition.
A major supporter of the bill is Madison County resident Rick Benson, who proposed expanding the Madison County Board from three to five when he ran for County Commissioner. Benson says that he discussed the matter with Sen. Scheer, and the two helped develop the bill.
Benson believes that having five commissioners would help the Madison County Board work more efficiently, and that it would be more cost-effective if the commissioners could just place the question on the ballot instead of going the petition route.
District Three Commissioner Troy Uhlir says that constituents have called him on the matter, with the bulk of responses being against adding additional commissioners. Uhlir says that voters will have to weigh whether more money should be spent on greater representation, or keeping the status quo and allocating those funds elsewhere.
The bill is currently being discussed in the legislature.