Brule Village Board recall election unsuccessful, village clerk resigns

Brule, Nebraska, a village of 330 residents just west of Ogallala, has seen its fair share of controversy over the last few months, including the resignation of a longtime village employee and efforts to recall two village board members.

More than 60 percent of voters cast their ballots against recalling Brian McNeff and Mike Gibson in their respective elections, allowing them to remain on the Brule Village Board.

The votes were tallied earlier this week.

According to the recall petitions, McNeff and Gibson were accused of not faithfully and impartially keeping the oath of office they swore to. The petitions listed offenses such as disliking city officials, jeopardizing the water testing process, spreading misinformation, and conspiring pre-planned results outside of open meetings.

In McNeff’s opinion, the recall was about preventing him and Gibson from investigating the village clerk, Vicki Malmkar.

In December, the village defaulted on a $130,000 bond payment and is currently under investigation from the state auditor’s office.

McNeff said Brule taxpayers paid the money for the bond and it was in the village budget, but payments were never sent from the village clerk.

“It's already been paid – the money has,” McNeff said. “Not to the bond company, though. And now we have to ask the village of Brule property owners to pay it again.”

At Brule’s village board meeting Tuesday, it was announced that Malmkar had resigned from her position but would keep the duties of village clerk until a replacement is found.

The announcement was added to the meeting agenda earlier in the day, which some board members said was a surprise. The agenda item read “Resignation of Village Clerk” in the morning and then was later changed to “Retirement of Village Clerk.”

Brule resident Crystal Olson was at the meeting and wanted Malmkar removed from office immediately.

“I don't want her to stay,” she said. “I don't think she should be anywhere near Brule anymore at all. She needs to be gone.”

Malmkar declined to comment to Nebraska Public Media on the story.

The release date of the state auditor’s report is unknown.