PILGER, NE – A northeast Nebraska village’s public funds are going under the microscope of law enforcement.
Stanton County Sheriff Mike Unger announced Friday that his office, along with the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office and federal authorities, are investigating a possible scam which led to the loss of a significant amount of money from the Village of Pilger’s public funds. Unger says the investigation is trying to determine if any wrongdoing by village employees contributed to the situation.
The Pilger Village Board of Trustees called an emergency meeting Thursday night and went into private executive session. Village Attorney Tom Donner says the the Board approved a motion to suspend Village Clerk Kimberly Neiman with compensation for an indefinite period of time for unspecified violations of the Village’s Personnel Policy.
Donner says information was discovered as part of the village’s regular audit process that led to the emergency meeting. The Village Board initiated an investigation of certain prior expenditures.
Neiman was once hailed as a hero in Pilger for her work in helping the community recover from twin tornadoes which destroyed most of the village in 2014. She has served as Village clerk for 20 years. In that time, she has received numerous awards including Nebraska Outstanding Public Administrator of the Year in 2015 and Outstanding Village Clerk in 2007.
Correction: A previous version of this article stated that Neiman was placed on unpaid leave. She is on paid administrative leave.
