Rockville is a village of 85 northwest of Grand Island
By PAUL HAMMEL
Nebraska Examiner
LINCOLN — Allegations that a former village clerk in central Nebraska used village funds to purchase home canning supplies, Christmas-type lights and liver cleanse pills have been forwarded for possible criminal prosecution.
The Nebraska State Auditor’s Office issued a report Monday noting that the former village clerk in Rockville, Amanda Green, had used a village debit card to purchase a handful of items that appeared to be for personal use.
Those purchases included $368 worth of home canning jars and supplies, $42 worth of rope lighting and $32 for a jar of liver cleanse pills.
The auditor also expressed concerns about lack of dual signatures on village checks, $2,673 worth of village purchases that were not approved by the village board, and a conflict of interest involving one village board member, Tim Kusek, who failed to recuse himself for voting on village payments to him.
Because there were allegations of misuse of village funds against the former clerk, the matter was referred to the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office and the Sherman County attorney, as well as to the Nebraska Political Accountability and Disclosure Commission.
Sherman County Attorney Heather Sikyta, who also serves at the Rockville village attorney, said the village board has begun the process of determining what action is necessary to rectify and obtain reimbursement for the misused funds.
A message left Monday with Green, who resigned as village clerk late last year, seeking comment was not immediately returned.
The village’s official response to the audit stated that it has changed its policy concerning use of the village debit card and will make sure that Kusek’s wages with the village are handled correctly.
Rockville is a farming village of 85 people northwest of Grand Island.