Scotts Bluff County moves to write off $14,002.62 VOCA grant loan from Keno fund

Scotts Bluff County commissioners voted unanimously to dismiss a lingering loan tied to a 2022–23 Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant, county staff said.

County management accountant Lisa Rhine told the board the county initially sought to clear a larger balance but, after some reimbursements and accounting corrections, the outstanding amount that was not reimbursed by the Nebraska Crime Commission is $14,002.62. Rhine said the county borrowed from the Keno fund to cover payroll and other costs while the grant submissions were processed and that the fund now has a zero balance.

“This money came in, I think, in August or October,” Rhine said, explaining that the VOCA grant was active for about 10 months before the local grant coordinator resigned and final submissions were not made. She told the board that the Nebraska Crime Commission said the county could not recover one final month of reimbursement. “We found some of the VOCA grant money was posted to another fund. Once that came back over, it brought it down to now we’re at $14,002.62,” Rhine said.

Treasurer Heather Hochschild confirmed the county’s target: making the loan permanent from the Keno fund so the separate VOCA fund can be closed and not show recurring loan activity in future reports.

Commissioners discussed whether the shortage should be repaid in some other way and whether the county should change internal controls so future grant work is covered by more than a single staff person. Rhine and Hochschild said the county is moving to have multiple staff track grants to avoid a repeat.

Commissioner [motion recorded; mover not specified] moved to dismiss the VOCA loan; a second was recorded. The board then voted and the clerk recorded five yes votes. The action formally cleared the $14,002.62 loan from the county’s books and left the county’s Keno fund available for other uses, staff said.

The board did not direct repayment from other revenue sources; the motion recorded that the loan would be dismissed and removed from ongoing reporting.

Why it matters: County officials said the write-off simplifies year-end accounting and allows the county to inactivate the VOCA fund, which currently has no remaining balance. Commissioners asked for better grant tracking so a single staff departure does not leave the county bearing unreimbursed costs in the future.

Speakers at the meeting who addressed this item included Lisa Rhine, Scotts Bluff County management accountant; Heather Hochschild, Scotts Bluff County treasurer; and multiple commissioners (Harris, Knapper, Meyer, Reisig, Blue).