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Nebraska Governor's Mansion will remain unoccupied for another 4 years

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The Nebraska Governor's Mansion at 1425 H St. in Lincoln will go another four years without a full-time resident. Gov.-elect Jim Pillen said he plans to continue residing in Columbus and will commute to Lincoln.

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Former Gov. Dave Heineman, who left office in 2015, was the last governor to occupy the mansion. Similar to the plans of Gov.-elect Jim Pillen, Gov. Pete Ricketts opted to live in Omaha and commute to Lincoln most days.

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ERIN BAMER Omaha World-Herald

Nebraska Gov.-elect Pillen plans to host inaugural ball in Omaha

Jim Pillen will mark the third gubernatorial term in a row that the Nebraska Governor's Mansion in Lincoln will lack a full-time resident.

Nebraska's governor-elect recently announced that Columbus would remain his primary residence for his first term, which begins in January. He cited family as the main reason — his youngest son Izic is still in high school, and Pillen has several grandchildren who live nearby.

Guests line up to enter the Governor's Mansion for a Christmas season open house in 2019. Gov.-elect Jim Pillen does not intend to live in the mansion.

Journal Star

That doesn't mean, however, that he plans to work remotely. Even now, Pillen said most days he wakes up early to make the roughly 75-mile trek to Lincoln, where he typically stays until at least 5:30 p.m. 

"Working for Nebraskans, I'll be in Lincoln, I'll be in the Capitol, I'll be all over the state," Pillen said. 

Former Gov. Dave Heineman, who left office in 2015, was the last governor to occupy the mansion. Similar to Pillen, Gov. Pete Ricketts opted to live in Omaha and commute to Lincoln most days. Ricketts spokeswoman Alex Reuss said the governor occasionally would spend nights in the mansion depending on his schedule. Ricketts is leaving after eight years as governor due to term limits.

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Pillen said he and his wife likely will spend some nights in the mansion as well, and he plans to host some events there during his term. 

"We recognize how important it is to share the residence with Nebraskans," Pillen said. 

The lack of a full-time resident doesn't mean the mansion, located at 1425 H St., is completely vacant. Michelle Potts, administrator of the State Building Division in the Department of Administrative Services, said the mansion offers public tours by appointment every Thursday, and the governor typically uses the space to host meetings and other events throughout the year. 

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Though no staff members are specifically assigned to the mansion, Potts said the Building Division often sends workers there for maintenance. The Governor's Office is in charge of such day-to-day operations as cleaning. Potts said her office maintains the building "from top to bottom," from the roofing to the grounds.

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The operating budget for the residence has been approximately $180,000 to $200,000 for the last few years, according to Eric Maher, communications director with DAS. Potts said the operating budget doesn't change based on whether the current governor is living there full time. 

A branch of the Nebraska State Patrol also has an office and designated parking spaces in the mansion for security, Potts said. However, the patrol contingent is headquartered wherever the current governor's primary residence is. In Pillen's case, that will be Columbus. 

Reuss said there's no extra security costs if the governor doesn't reside in the mansion aside from the added cost of gas involved in securely transporting the person to and from Lincoln.

The mansion formally opened nearly 65 years ago in early 1958 at a cost of $200,000, according to a state document. The building boasts 27 major rooms and 15,340 square feet of space, according to the Governor's Office. It was renovated in 1997 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.

During his campaign for governor, Pillen stressed his desire to cut government spending. He said, however, that he has no desire to explore selling the mansion.

"It's an important part of our history," he said. 

Nebraska's 10 most recent governors

Briefly: Ricketts, whose billionaire family owns the Chicago Cubs, has won two terms as governor. He has focused on taxes, regulations and government efficiency.

Briefly: Heineman became Nebraska’s longest-serving governor after moving up from lieutenant governor. A staunch conservative, he oversaw two major tax cut packages.

Briefly: Johanns put thousands of miles on his car campaigning for governor. A former Lincoln mayor, he went on to become U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and spent one term in the U.S. Senate.

Briefly: Nelson served two terms as governor and two in the U.S. Senate. As governor, he merged five state agencies and kept Nebraska from being the site of a low-level radioactive waste dump.

Briefly: Orr was Nebraska’s first woman elected governor. She oversaw the creation of business tax incentives and a push to increase university research. She has reemerged as a political force in recent years.

Briefly: Kerrey is a decorated Vietnam War veteran who led the state through a major farm crisis. He went on to serve two terms in the U.S. Senate. While governor, he dated actress Debra Winger.

Briefly: Thone, better known as “Charley,” spent eight years in Congress before being elected governor. He focused on education and economic development.

Briefly: Exon, a two-term governor and three-term U.S. senator, became the patriarch of the state Democratic Party. As governor, he was a fiscal conservative and an early proponent of ethanol.

Briefly: Tiemann, a reformer, took office in the midst of a state tax crisis. His solution – creating the state sales and income tax system – cost him a second term.

Briefly: Morrison, who served three 2-year terms as governor, was known as a tireless promoter of Nebraska. He pushed tourism and criminal justice reform.

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Justin Wan, Journal Star file photo

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cm-gov01

The Nebraska Governor's Mansion at 1425 H St. in Lincoln will go another four years without a full-time resident. Gov.-elect Jim Pillen said he plans to continue residing in Columbus and will commute to Lincoln.

Former Gov. Dave Heineman, who left office in 2015, was the last governor to occupy the mansion. Similar to the plans of Gov.-elect Jim Pillen, Gov. Pete Ricketts opted to live in Omaha and commute to Lincoln most days.

Guests line up to enter the Governor's Mansion for a Christmas season open house in 2019. Gov.-elect Jim Pillen does not intend to live in the mansion.

Pillen