NEW ULM — The executive director of the Kids X-Cel Center allegedly gave herself an unauthorized pay raise this year, according to a charge filed in Brown County District Court July 1.

A felony theft charge was filed against Angela L. Voges, 32, of 51253 CR 21, Courtland. A court appearance was set for 8:30 a.m., July 20.

According to the complaint, the president and vice president of the board of directors for Parents in Partnership, aka the Kids X-Cel Center, New Ulm, met with New Ulm Police June 26 regarding a revenue theft.

The board members said they suspected Voges of stealing money from the organization and showed budget documents from January 2021 through May 2021.

Police looked at time card reports for Voges showing her wage was supposed to be $28.84 an hour but she actually made $38.46 an hour, due to a new, unapproved hourly rate that raised her pay by $8,429.53 from Jan. 17, 2021 to June 19, 2021.

The board president told police the board was talking about raising Voges’ wages but neither she or the board approved it yet.

In addition, the board members told police Voges’ sick time bank increased 202 hours and her vacation bank increased 85.5 hours and they were unsure why the account balances increased.

Police met with four Parents in Partnership board members who all confirmed the board did not authorize a pay increase for Voges.

An X-Cel Center employee who made the pay changes told a police investigator she did it because Voges told her the board offered her a pay raise.

(Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@nu

journal.com).