MCCOOK, Neb. (AP) – Questions about whether two McCook City Council members convicted of misdemeanors can remain in office may be answered by an outside attorney.
Aaron Kircher and Shane Hilker have been advised to refrain from voting until the issue is settled. Kircher has been convicted of disturbing the peace. Hilker has been found guilty of harboring a potentially vicious dog.
According to Nebraska law, council members who’ve been convicted of crimes while in office must step down.
The Nebraska Attorney General’s Office says that because Hilker had violated only a city ordinance, the state law likely doesn’t apply.
But City Attorney Nate Schneider remains reluctant to make that determination, so he’s advising the council to seek counsel from an outside law firm. The council is expected to vote on that suggestion Thursday.