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Eastern Jackson County, MO —
Jackson County legislators opened the new year with a bit of history.
They elected Greg Grounds of Blue Springs as chairman of the Legislature for 2013.
Grounds is a Republican, the first to hold that position in the 40-year history of the current County Charter, which brought the modern County Legislature into being.
“Now don’t be staring at me,” Grounds joked as he moved into the chairman’s seat after the unanimous vote. “None of you are more surprised than me.”
The chairmanship rotates year to year. Legislators generally work that out in advance, and Grounds said the idea – something he didn’t seek but is willing to step up and do, he said – was floating around for a few days. It was only about 20 minutes before Monday afternoon’s meeting that he got the final word, he said.
Democrats have long had a solid majority on the Legislature and currently hold seven of its nine seats. But Grounds – now halfway through his second four-year term as a legislator – agreed that his election reflects the collegiality of the group and pointed out that few of its issues are decided on partisan lines.
“I’ve always had good relations with everybody on the Legislature,” he said, and he promised to make sure all views are heard.
There was another first on Monday as well. Theresa Garza-Ruiz, D-Blue Springs, was elected vice chairman, the first Latina and the first woman since Carol Coe at least two decades ago to be elected either chair or vice chair. The vice chairman fills in when the chairman is absent.
County Executive Mike Sanders gave a quick update on three familiar issues expected to be in front of the Legislature in 2013:
- The Truman Courthouse on the Independence Square, currently under renovation, is expected to be reopened this summer. This year is the 80th anniversary of Truman’s rededication of the 1836 building after a renovation in the early 1930s.
- A major transit plan likely to center on Sanders’s plan for a commuter rail system. He said he’ll probably have something for legislators to look at in March and the issue will likely go to voters, with a sales tax, in August.
- The continued likelihood of state and federal budget cuts, which could force county officials to make middle-of-the-budget-year cuts as they did in 2012.
“I think we all have our eyes on what’s going on in Washington, D.C., and Jefferson City, and I think we all know more cuts are coming,” he said.
Jackson County legislators opened the new year with a bit of history.
They elected Greg Grounds of Blue Springs as chairman of the Legislature for 2013.
Grounds is a Republican, the first to hold that position in the 40-year history of the current County Charter, which brought the modern County Legislature into being.
“Now don’t be staring at me,” Grounds joked as he moved into the chairman’s seat after the unanimous vote. “None of you are more surprised than me.”
The chairmanship rotates year to year. Legislators generally work that out in advance, and Grounds said the idea – something he didn’t seek but is willing to step up and do, he said – was floating around for a few days. It was only about 20 minutes before Monday afternoon’s meeting that he got the final word, he said.
Democrats have long had a solid majority on the Legislature and currently hold seven of its nine seats. But Grounds – now halfway through his second four-year term as a legislator – agreed that his election reflects the collegiality of the group and pointed out that few of its issues are decided on partisan lines.
“I’ve always had good relations with everybody on the Legislature,” he said, and he promised to make sure all views are heard.
There was another first on Monday as well. Theresa Garza-Ruiz, D-Blue Springs, was elected vice chairman, the first Latina and the first woman since Carol Coe at least two decades ago to be elected either chair or vice chair. The vice chairman fills in when the chairman is absent.
County Executive Mike Sanders gave a quick update on three familiar issues expected to be in front of the Legislature in 2013:
- The Truman Courthouse on the Independence Square, currently under renovation, is expected to be reopened this summer. This year is the 80th anniversary of Truman’s rededication of the 1836 building after a renovation in the early 1930s.
- A major transit plan likely to center on Sanders’s plan for a commuter rail system. He said he’ll probably have something for legislators to look at in March and the issue will likely go to voters, with a sales tax, in August.
- The continued likelihood of state and federal budget cuts, which could force county officials to make middle-of-the-budget-year cuts as they did in 2012.
“I think we all have our eyes on what’s going on in Washington, D.C., and Jefferson City, and I think we all know more cuts are coming,” he said.
