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Independence, MO —
A Jackson County task force will take a look at possible term limits for county elected officials, among other issues.
County Executive Mike Sanders on Monday named seven task force members and two alternates, giving them until Aug. 6 to study possible change to the County Charter. That would leave the County Legislature time to consider the recommendations and place them on the November ballot for voter approval.
Sanders wants the group to look at term limits, campaign finance issues and the procedures for filing for office. Two years ago, Sanders appointed a similar task force that came back with what Sanders called the most sweeping changes since voters approved the current charter in 1972. Most of those changes, which voters approved, involved merging two separate ethics offices and putting limits on the power of the executive.
The chair of the task force is Dianne Cleaver, and others on it are former state representative Paul G. Rojas (who was on the 2010 task force), attorney Dana M. Altieri, attorney Buford L. Farrington, Gayle Holliday, James T. Nunnelly and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 53 business representative Bruce van Campernolle. Alternates are former County Legislator Robert “Bud” Hertzog (who was on the 2010 task force) and former Kansas City Council Member Becky Nace.
Earlier this year, some county legislators had expressed an interest in changing the way candidates file for the 12 county elected positions – nine legislators, the executive, the sheriff and the prosecutor. The first to file is the first on the ballot, and in the past there have been incidents in which candidates went to great lengths to get into the courthouse at all hours of the night in order to be first in line.
A Jackson County task force will take a look at possible term limits for county elected officials, among other issues.
County Executive Mike Sanders on Monday named seven task force members and two alternates, giving them until Aug. 6 to study possible change to the County Charter. That would leave the County Legislature time to consider the recommendations and place them on the November ballot for voter approval.
Sanders wants the group to look at term limits, campaign finance issues and the procedures for filing for office. Two years ago, Sanders appointed a similar task force that came back with what Sanders called the most sweeping changes since voters approved the current charter in 1972. Most of those changes, which voters approved, involved merging two separate ethics offices and putting limits on the power of the executive.
The chair of the task force is Dianne Cleaver, and others on it are former state representative Paul G. Rojas (who was on the 2010 task force), attorney Dana M. Altieri, attorney Buford L. Farrington, Gayle Holliday, James T. Nunnelly and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 53 business representative Bruce van Campernolle. Alternates are former County Legislator Robert “Bud” Hertzog (who was on the 2010 task force) and former Kansas City Council Member Becky Nace.
Earlier this year, some county legislators had expressed an interest in changing the way candidates file for the 12 county elected positions – nine legislators, the executive, the sheriff and the prosecutor. The first to file is the first on the ballot, and in the past there have been incidents in which candidates went to great lengths to get into the courthouse at all hours of the night in order to be first in line.
