LINCOLN- A recent decision made by the Gage County Board to prevent the duplication of taxpayer funds to deploy broadband internet, an action they argued the Nebraska Public Service Commission failed to do, came after two state senators urged board members to avoid what would be a waste of taxpayer dollars.

Sens. Bruce Bostelman and Myron Dorn told the county board that it didn't make sense to subsidize a broadband project that's already been subsidized by taxpayer funding. If allowed to stay in place, the decision from the Public Service Commission would allow two different government grants to be used to service the same area, despite the project only requiring funding from one of the grants.

The new decision by the Gage County Board, which passed on a 5-2 vote, means that a $535,000 state Broadband Bridge Act grant to Pinpoint Communications, one of two companies contracted to provide service to the area, will likely be rescinded. The Public Service Commission had previously denied rescinding the funding to Pinpoint, despite it being a duplicated amount.

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