The cities of Lincoln and Norfolk have faced questions over the leadership of their respective police departments in the past year-and-a-half, and the mayors in both cities believe those circumstances will result in improvements.
The remarks by Norfolk Mayor Josh Moenning and Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird came Wednesday during the State of Our Union event organized by The Atlantic magazine in partnership with the Flatwater Free Press.
The two mayors also discussed climate change, recreation and entertainment amenities, and increasing polarization.
Moenning, a Republican first elected in 2016, has prioritized alternative energy, leading to the construction of a 69-acre solar farm near the northeast Nebraska city of about 25,000 people. His tenure has also seen reinvestment in the town’s natural resources like the Elkhorn River, where the city built a series of rapids that now draw kayakers, rafters and even surfers to the once slowing-moving waterway.
“It’s place making,” he said. “It provides for new outdoor recreation activities. It’s also creating tourism in our economy that is an element that we’ve not seen before.”
During her time as Lincoln’s mayor, Gaylor Baird, a Democrat first elected in 2019, has also prioritized strategies to combat climate change. She said that work, fueled by the city’s climate action plan, includes limiting greenhouse gas emissions, prioritizing local food production and building a clean energy economy.
Lincoln is also investing in an entertainment district, centered around venues like the Zoo Bar and the Bourbon in downtown.
“Mayors have this wonderful opportunity to convene and work with people on the ground and lift up local voices,” she said. “And so the music district has really emerged from those conversations over the years.”
Both mayors have also faced challenges to public safety in recent years. Since 2016, Lincoln has paid more than $3.5 million to settle lawsuits related to discrimination and harassment within its police department.
Gaylor Baird said her administration inherited a fair number of legal cases when she took office, and they’ve made improvements. The city also implemented several policies stemming from a 2022 internal review.
She said the city will be adding co-responders to its police force, trained professionals who can assist when a person is in a mental health crisis. The city already launched an alternate response team, a group run through the nonprofit CenterPointe that can assist in situations where law enforcement is not needed.
“I think by demonstrating all of the ways that we are trying to serve, shows our community that they should have trust,” she said. “And I think the Lincoln community is very proud of our law enforcement officers and very proud of our team in general.”
In August, Norfolk placed its chief of police and a lieutenant on administrative leave pending an internal investigation into the department’s work environment. Moenning said he sees the recent turmoil as an opportunity to continue building the right department for Norfolk. He highlighted work in community policing and building relationships in schools and neighborhoods.
Moenning also said the city learned lessons when Norfolk’s nonprofit transit system shut down after a leader stole $1 million of taxpayer money and fled the country. The community found a solution, but the blip in services revealed the program’s necessity in the small town.
“I think it was a lesson, not only about scrutiny, strict accounting and bookkeeping … but in general, the importance of having an efficient, well-run comprehensive transit system to help people get to work, get to doctors appointments and get to school,” he said.
Both mayors said they’ve found themselves in tough positions as the world becomes more politicized. Moenning said so many people today have an addiction to anger and use local government as a way to vent frustrations.
Gaylor Baird said recent attempts by Gov. Jim Pillen to cap cities’ taxing authority would severely limit their ability to grow. Their goal remains advocating for their respective cities’ public safety, economy and quality of life, but accomplishing that while navigating politics can be challenging.
“You got people coming to us every day saying, ‘Help us build more affordable housing. Help us … revitalize downtown, help us fund our nonprofits,’” Gaylor Baird said. “When you got pressure from the ground saying, ‘Help us,’ and pressure from above saying, ‘Stay static,’ it’s a very difficult place to be.”