Crete lowered its property tax levy to help struggling residents. Then state aid disappeared.

Crete lowered its property tax levy to help struggling residents. Then state aid disappeared.

CRETE — It was Fourth of July weekend, and the small city 30 minutes southwest of Lincoln didn’t have enough police officers to go around.  There was one officer on duty when the call came in. When the officer arrived, an irate man, naked and armed with an ax, greeted them from his car.  Meanwhile, routine complaints — about fireworks, noise, general holiday disruptions — continued. Frustration built as callers learned no officers were immediate…