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Independence, MO —
The task force considering changes to the Jackson County Charter submitted its report to the County Legislature on Monday. As expected, it made no recommendations to place any issues on the ballot this fall.
“I think it was a very diligent group,” County Executive Mike Sanders said Monday.
Sanders appointed a similar group two years ago that made recommendations, including combining the county’s Ethics Commission and its Office of Human Relations & Citizen Complaints; limits on professional services contracts awarded by the county executive – something Sanders said has been abused in the past – and, to save money, removing the requirement that the executive maintain specific departments and offices and instead outlining the functions that need to occur and letting the executive organize those as he sees fit. Voters easily approved those changes in August 2010.
Those discussions led to other issues that the 2010 task force didn’t tackle. Early this summer, Sanders appointed a new group and asked it to look into three issues:
• Setting limits on the campaign contributions, which the county counselor’s office later determined was a matter of state, not local, law.
• Establishing term limits for county legislators, the county executive, the sheriff and the prosecuting attorney. Many members of the task force expressed deep skepticism about term limits generally, and the group narrowly voted down the suggestion that the county executive be limited to three four-year terms.
• Changing the manner in which order of candidates’ names on the ballot is determined. Right now, names appear in the order in which candidates file. In the past, candidates have gone to great lengths to be the first ones to the door of the county clerk’s on the second floor of the Downtown Courthouse on the day filing opens. The task force looked at state regulations as well, but ultimately decided it was a matter of access to the building itself and recommends that the sheriff and county executuve work out – and publicize – “procudures for fair and orderly access to the Courthouse” when filing opens. Sanders has said he and Sheriff Mike Sharp can work that out.
Sanders said the task force dealt with complicated issues and said it was important that it operate in a fair and transparent way, and he said he and the County Legislature would have gone along with whatever the task force came up with.
“I think the discussion’s a healthy discussion to have,” he said.
The 2010 charter review was the first in many years, and now the charter is to be reviewed at least every 10 years, more often if officials see a need to do so.
“I think we can put this to bed until 2020,” Sanders said.
The task force considering changes to the Jackson County Charter submitted its report to the County Legislature on Monday. As expected, it made no recommendations to place any issues on the ballot this fall.
“I think it was a very diligent group,” County Executive Mike Sanders said Monday.
Sanders appointed a similar group two years ago that made recommendations, including combining the county’s Ethics Commission and its Office of Human Relations & Citizen Complaints; limits on professional services contracts awarded by the county executive – something Sanders said has been abused in the past – and, to save money, removing the requirement that the executive maintain specific departments and offices and instead outlining the functions that need to occur and letting the executive organize those as he sees fit. Voters easily approved those changes in August 2010.
Those discussions led to other issues that the 2010 task force didn’t tackle. Early this summer, Sanders appointed a new group and asked it to look into three issues:
• Setting limits on the campaign contributions, which the county counselor’s office later determined was a matter of state, not local, law.
• Establishing term limits for county legislators, the county executive, the sheriff and the prosecuting attorney. Many members of the task force expressed deep skepticism about term limits generally, and the group narrowly voted down the suggestion that the county executive be limited to three four-year terms.
• Changing the manner in which order of candidates’ names on the ballot is determined. Right now, names appear in the order in which candidates file. In the past, candidates have gone to great lengths to be the first ones to the door of the county clerk’s on the second floor of the Downtown Courthouse on the day filing opens. The task force looked at state regulations as well, but ultimately decided it was a matter of access to the building itself and recommends that the sheriff and county executuve work out – and publicize – “procudures for fair and orderly access to the Courthouse” when filing opens. Sanders has said he and Sheriff Mike Sharp can work that out.
Sanders said the task force dealt with complicated issues and said it was important that it operate in a fair and transparent way, and he said he and the County Legislature would have gone along with whatever the task force came up with.
“I think the discussion’s a healthy discussion to have,” he said.
The 2010 charter review was the first in many years, and now the charter is to be reviewed at least every 10 years, more often if officials see a need to do so.
“I think we can put this to bed until 2020,” Sanders said.
