Who is the Otoe County County Assessor?

Christina Smallfoot is the County Assessor of Otoe County, Nebraska. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Otoe County County Attorney?

Jenniffer Panko-Rahe is the County Attorney of Otoe County, Nebraska. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Otoe County County Clerk?

Jennifer Bassinger is the County Clerk of Otoe County, Nebraska. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Otoe County Clerk of the District Court?

Janis Riege is the Clerk of the District Court of Otoe County, Nebraska. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Otoe County Public Defender?

Michael Ziskey is the Public Defender of Otoe County, Nebraska. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Otoe County Register of Deeds?

Ruth Ann Weddle is the Register of Deeds of Otoe County, Nebraska. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Otoe County Sheriff?

Colin Caudill is the Sheriff of Otoe County, Nebraska. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Otoe County County Surveyor?

Dan Thomson is the County Surveyor of Otoe County, Nebraska. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Otoe County County Treasurer?

Nicki Kreifels is the County Treasurer of Otoe County, Nebraska. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who are the Otoe County commissioners?

Dan Crownover (County Commissioner); Richard Freshman (County Commissioner); James Parsons (County Commissioner); Jerad Sornson (County Commissioner); Charles Cole (County Commissioner).

What is the population of Otoe County?

About 16,241 people, with a median age of 41.7; the median household income is $82,188 and 9.1% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Otoe County?

2.3% in September 2026 (preliminary): 198 people unemployed in a labor force of 8,645, against 2.6% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).

How many local governments are there in Otoe County?

27 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 10 municipal, 3 school district and 13 special district governments.

Otoe County, NE elected officials: county commissioners or supervisors, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Otoe County: 14 seats on 10 elected bodies. 12 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

County Board of Commissioners or Supervisors

Otoe County Board of Commissioners

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

Office	Who holds it now	Next term
County Commissioner	Dan Crownover source
County Commissioner	Richard Freshman source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner	James Parsons source
County Commissioner	Jerad Sornson source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner	Charles Cole source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

Official website

County officers

Office	Who holds it now	Next term
County Assessor	Christina Smallfoot source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Attorney	Jenniffer Panko-Rahe source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Clerk	Jennifer Bassinger source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Clerk of the District Court	Janis Riege source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Public Defender	Michael Ziskey source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Register of Deeds	Ruth Ann Weddle source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Sheriff	Colin Caudill source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Surveyor	Dan Thomson source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Treasurer	Nicki Kreifels source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

How many local governments Otoe County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 27 local governments in Otoe County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of government	Census count (2022)	Listed on this page
County government	1	1
Cities, towns, villages and townships	10	0
School districts (school boards)	3	0
Special districts (elected boards)	13	0

Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).

About these counts

The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments, though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.

Who lives in Otoe County

16,241people

41.7median ageU.S.: 38.9

$82,188 household incomeU.S.: $80,734

9.1%below the U.S.: 12.5%

27.2%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%

$201,600median home valueU.S.: $332,700

2.7%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%

5.3%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%

9.4%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%

3.9%U.S.: 8.4%

25.2%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%

19.3%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 9% · White 85.5% · Black 1% · Asian 0.2% · Other or more than one race 4.2% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)

Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).

About these figures

The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.

Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.

Jobs in Otoe County

2.3%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 2.6%. Nebraska: 2.5%.

198people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.

8,447people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.

8,645in the September 2026, preliminary.

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years

Month	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)	2.3%	198	8,447	8,645
August 2026	2.5%	218	8,424	8,642
July 2026	3.1%	272	8,444	8,716
June 2026	3.0%	264	8,481	8,745
May 2026	2.4%	208	8,482	8,690
April 2026	2.1%	185	8,456	8,641
March 2026	2.6%	222	8,402	8,624
February 2026	3.3%	288	8,400	8,688
January 2026	3.2%	273	8,362	8,635
December 2025	3.0%	256	8,417	8,673
November 2025	3.0%	257	8,420	8,677
October 2025	not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025	2.6%	225	8,501	8,726
August 2025	2.5%	221	8,486	8,707
July 2025	3.2%	281	8,608	8,889
June 2025	3.1%	281	8,661	8,942
May 2025	2.5%	224	8,586	8,810
April 2025	2.6%	224	8,488	8,712
March 2025	2.6%	224	8,419	8,643
February 2025	3.0%	259	8,330	8,589
January 2025	2.8%	241	8,338	8,579
December 2024	2.4%	208	8,289	8,497
November 2024	2.7%	229	8,304	8,533
October 2024	2.6%	223	8,384	8,607

Yearly averages

Year	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
2025 (11 months)	2.8%	245	8,478	8,723
2024	2.6%	218	8,295	8,513
2023	2.2%	189	8,226	8,415
2022	2.2%	187	8,350	8,537
2021	2.4%	208	8,284	8,492
2020	3.6%	300	8,071	8,371
2019	3.2%	273	8,166	8,439
2018	2.9%	240	7,927	8,167
2017	3.4%	273	7,872	8,145
2016	3.4%	284	7,987	8,271

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. Nebraska's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 2.9% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.

Crime reported in Otoe County

71.5 per 100,0002025. Nebraska: 218.4.

613.8 per 100,0002025. Nebraska: 1,378.6.

0murders2025, 12 violent crimes in all.

Earlier years

Year	Violent	Rate	Property	Rate
2025	12	71.5	103	613.8
2024	14	84.0	97	582.1
2023	17	103.6	148	901.6
2022	20	125.1	159	994.8
2021	28	173.9	160	993.5
2020	15	94.0	189	1,183.9
2019	30	188.1	337	2,113.3
2018	35	218.4	251	1,565.9
2017	12	74.4	216	1,339.2
2016	12	75.0	338	2,112.1

By police agency (2)

Agency	Year	Violent	Property	People served
Otoe County Sheriff's Office	2025	2	36	9,176
Nebraska City Police Department	2025	10	67	7,606

Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in Nebraska · the U.S.

Police staffing

1.91 per 1,000 residents2025, 2 agencies serving 16,782 people.

32sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.

21civilian staff2025, full-time.

Agencies counted (2), 2025

Agency	Officers	Civilians	People served
Otoe County Sheriff's Office	17	20	9,176
Nebraska City Police Department	15	1	7,606

Earlier years

Year	Officers	Per 1,000	Civilians	Agencies
2025	32	1.91	21	2
2024	29	1.74	21	2
2023	24	1.46	21	2
2022	28	1.75	16	2
2021	30	1.86	19	2
2020	30	1.88	17	2
2019	29	1.82	16	2
2018	26	1.62	16	2
2017	29	1.80	15	2

Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.

Quick answers

Who is the Otoe County County Assessor?: Christina Smallfoot is the County Assessor of Otoe County, Nebraska. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Otoe County County Attorney?: Jenniffer Panko-Rahe is the County Attorney of Otoe County, Nebraska. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Otoe County County Clerk?: Jennifer Bassinger is the County Clerk of Otoe County, Nebraska. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Otoe County Clerk of the District Court?: Janis Riege is the Clerk of the District Court of Otoe County, Nebraska. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Otoe County Public Defender?: Michael Ziskey is the Public Defender of Otoe County, Nebraska. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Otoe County Register of Deeds?: Ruth Ann Weddle is the Register of Deeds of Otoe County, Nebraska. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Otoe County Sheriff?: Colin Caudill is the Sheriff of Otoe County, Nebraska. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Otoe County County Surveyor?: Dan Thomson is the County Surveyor of Otoe County, Nebraska. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Otoe County County Treasurer?: Nicki Kreifels is the County Treasurer of Otoe County, Nebraska. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Otoe County commissioners?: Dan Crownover (County Commissioner); Richard Freshman (County Commissioner); James Parsons (County Commissioner); Jerad Sornson (County Commissioner); Charles Cole (County Commissioner).
What is the population of Otoe County?: About 16,241 people, with a median age of 41.7; the median household income is $82,188 and 9.1% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Otoe County?: 2.3% in September 2026 (preliminary): 198 people unemployed in a labor force of 8,645, against 2.6% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Otoe County?: 27 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 10 municipal, 3 school district and 13 special district governments.

Officeholders as of November 7, 2026, from each county's annual audit filed with the Nebraska Auditor of Public Accounts (its list of county officials at June 30, 2025) or, where the audit has none, the county's own website (read November 2026), with the Secretary of State's, Department of Revenue's and Judicial Branch's contact directories for a clerk, assessor or clerk of the district court a county page doesn't name; officials appointed or replaced since then may differ; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.

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