A larger than expected crowd showed up outside Papillion City Hall Wednesday to protest higher taxes and increased government spending.

The Papillion/Sarpy County Tax Day Tea Party drew an estimated 200 people over the lunch hour. Papillion resident Gaylene Stupich hosted the event and urged those at the rally to stay involved with government issues.

"It just seems like too much spending,” said Carol Coppi of Papillion. “Too many projects that are unnecessary and taxes are going to have to cover this excess spending."

Virginia Haynes, visiting family in Papillion from Huntington Beach, California, held a sign protesting higher taxes and government spending. "Our taxes are just killing us, especially in California. Can't take it anymore."

“I think the timing is very bad. There are so many people out of work right now and they're still having to pay their taxes. They're trying to stay in their homes. They're trying to keep their kids in school and pay exorbitant taxes on top of it all."

Critics of these rallies call the events coordinated, conservative efforts to make the president look bad, though Haynes disagrees. “I'm not bashing Obama at all. I'm tired of paying the high taxes, I’m tired of supporting everybody."

Lorraine Miller of Ralston brought her daughter to the tea party, concerned about her child’s future. "It's our money, but it's also their future. It's really important for me to be here because she wanted me to be here."

"I'm only 15 years old and by the time I become and adult, all this spending that they're doing and all the money that they're printing, I'm going to have to pay for,” said Noelle Miller. "I can't really vote so I don't really have a voice yet, so this is how I speak."

Three other tea parties are taking place around the metro Wednesday evening, at the Douglas County Courthouse in downtown Omaha, the Pottawattamie County Courthouse in Council Bluffs and in Milard.

More than 1,000 tea party protests were planned around the country, designed to echo the original Boston Tea Party more than 200 years ago.