Scotts Bluff County commissioners vote 4–1 to terminate facilities manager after state audit findings

Scotts Bluff County commissioners voted 4–1 to remove facilities manager Jay Steinle from his position after discussing a Nebraska Auditor of Public Accounts letter and evidence the auditor reported as rebate redemptions tied to county charge‑account purchases.

The board reviewed the auditor’s findings and heard Steinle defend his record at the meeting. Steinle told commissioners he has worked for the county for about 10 years, described steps he said he took to repay questioned amounts and argued the errors were not intentional. “I wish to continue working for Scottsbluff County as facilities manager,” he said during his remarks, later adding, “I reiterate that I’m not a thief.”

Commissioners and members of the public challenged that explanation. A commissioner described a list of purchases the auditor identified as personal in the auditor’s table and said the pattern looked like misappropriation. A member of the public said the board should treat similar instances consistently; another commissioner said the pattern and repeated redemptions raised intent concerns and called the conduct “theft.” The board discussed whether Steinle’s bookkeeping failures alone justified termination or whether lesser disciplinary action or resignation should be sought.

After roughly three hours of public discussion, the board took a vote on a motion to terminate Steinle for misappropriation of funds. The motion passed on a roll call: Blue — yes; Harris — yes; Parsley — yes; Meyer — no; Reisig — yes. The board’s action followed the state auditor’s published letter (dated on the letter included in the meeting materials) documenting the audit results. The meeting record shows the total amounts identified were modest in dollar terms relative to the county’s overall budget, but commissioners said the repetitive nature of the findings and the need to maintain public trust were decisive factors.

The board’s action was procedural and personnel information was discussed in public at the request of the parties; the county also discussed corrective steps to purchasing‑card handling and policies during the meeting. Steinle said he accepted the board would take action; the record shows he had earlier made restitution for amounts identified in the audit.

The county will now follow personnel and appointment procedures for replacing the facilities manager and finalize any administrative steps required by county policy. The state auditor’s report and the board’s minutes are part of the public record for the meeting.