Falls City left without electrical crew after all linemen resign simultaneously

Falls City, a small community in southeast Nebraska, is facing a major staffing crisis after all six linemen employed by its Public Works Department resigned on March 24th. According to city officials, the three electrical linemen and three apprentices submitted their notices following internal leadership changes. Their departures have left the city, which serves as the seat of Richardson County, scrambling to maintain its electrical services. City Administrator Anthony Nussbaum confirmed the resignations and said the city is now relying on contractors and mutual aid agreements as it seeks to rebuild its line crew. A Change.org petition titled “We Stand With Our Lineman!” has drawn nearly 300 signatures, with claims that the linemen were labeled “lazy and overpaid” by officials. Mayor Mark Harkendorff said the linemen had long been unhappy and blamed the lack of formal complaints or union grievances for the situation’s escalation. Falls City, already grappling with aging electrical infrastructure and frequent outages, is in the early stages of a $5 million project to bury power lines, part of a broader $31 million infrastructure upgrade. On Monday, the city council is expected to vote on whether to hire a Missouri-based company to temporarily take over electrical duties.