Clay County, Missouri
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Portions of this article were taken from Wikipedia
Clay County is one of 114 counties in Missouri.
It is the seventh most populous county in Missouri. As of 2010, the population was 221,939.[1] Its county seat is Liberty. The county was organized in 1822 and was named in honor of U.S. Representative Henry Clay from Kentucky, later member of the United States Senate and United States Secretary of State.
Clay County is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area.
[edit] Website evaluation
In 2011 Clay County earned a Sunny Award for having a perfect website transparency score.
- Main article: Evaluation of Missouri county websites
This website was most recently reviewed on 5 February 2012.
[edit] The good
- Budget is posted.[2]
- Meeting schedule is posted, along with meeting minutes archive.[3]
- Commissioners are listed with contact information.[4]
- Administrative officials listed under respective departments.
- Building permit and zoning information available.[5]
- Monthly financial statements and audits are provided.[6]
- Current and recently awarded bids are posted. Current contracts listed under "planholders."[7]
- Provides a link to the Missouri Association of Counties, a taxpayer-funded lobbying organization. It also lists its membership expenses on the budget[8][2]
- Taxes can be paid online, local tax info provided.[9]
[edit] The bad
- Records on Real Estate, Marriage Licenses, and Military Discharges are available online, but information on how to make a public records request is not provided.[10]
[edit] Budget
| 2009 Actuals | 2010 Actual Budget | 2011 Projected | 2012 Amended Request | 2012 Proposed | 2012 Adopted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $62,337,687 | $60,503,433 | $62,000,148 | $84,936,259 | $86,644,124 | $92,895,324 |
[edit] Public employees
[edit] Elected officials
The Clay County Commission, the County's elected Officers and the County Administrator combine to govern the County in a council-manager form of government. This system of government combines the experience of locally elected political leadership with strong managerial support from an appointed government manager.[4]
| Name |
|---|
| Pam Mason (Presiding Commissioner) |
| Larry Larson (Western Commissioner) |
| Katee Porter (Eastern Commissioner) |
[edit] Administrative officials
A list of county departments and offices can be found here.
[edit] County Administrator
The Clay County Administrator's position is integral to the professional management of the County's day-to-day operations. The Administrator carries out County policy, is responsive to the Clay County Commission and administers local government projects and programs on behald of the Commission through a staff of appointed professionals representing numerous departments. The Administrator serves in an advisory capacity to the Clay County Commission. In addition, among other resposibilities, the County Administrator serves as Chief Budget Officer and oversees budgeting, recruitment, hiring and supervision activities throughout each of the County's departments.[11]
The current Administrator is Alexa Barton.[11]
[edit] Salaries
The total amount paid for County employee salaries is $21,672,948 in 2011.[12]
Below are Clay County employees earning more than $75,000 a year.[12]
| Position | Salary |
|---|---|
| Prosecuting Attorney | $109,366 |
| Director of Judicial Information Services | $87,447 |
| Lead Systems Analyst | $81,596 |
| County Administrator | $108,092 |
| Assistant County Administrator | $89,239 |
| County Counselor | $78,075 |
| Director of Information Technology | $83,802 |
| Highway Administrator | $75,424 |
[edit] Pensions
County employees participate in the Missouri Local Government Employees Retirement System. MOLAGERS is a defined benefit retirement plan covering over 600 employers, with 33,000 active members and 16,000 retirees.[13]
[edit] Lobbying
Clay County is a member of the Missouri Association of Counties and the National Association of Counties.[8]
[edit] Transparency & public records
Clay County earned a 2012 Sunny Award for receiving a perfect score on Sunshine Review's Ten Point Transparency Checklist.
[edit] Taxes
The county collects a real estate and personal property tax. Real estate for residential property is calculated at 19% of market value, and commercial property at 32%. Personal property is based on 33.3% of market value. A tax estimate can be gauged by visiting the tax collector's webpage.[9]
[edit] External links
- Official Clay County Website
- 7th Judicial Circuit of Clay County
- Clay County Board of Election Commissioners
- Clay County Public Health Center
- Clay County Economic Development Council
- Clay County on E-Reference
[edit] References
 |
State of Missouri Jefferson City (capital) |
|---|---|
| Transparency |
Sunshine Law | Transparency Checklist | Government corruption reports | Transparency Legislation | Open Records procedures | Transparency Advocates | Transparency blogs | State budget | Taxpayer-funded lobbying associations | |
| Divisions |
State |
List of Counties |
List of Cities |
List of School Districts | |
| Government |
Missouri State Constitution | Executive | House of Representatives | Senate | |
| Judiciary |
Missouri Supreme Court | County circuit judges | District Courts | Judicial Nominating Commission | Judicial news | Judicial activist organizations | |
| Ballot Measures |
2008 ballot measures | List of ballot measures | Local initiative and referendum | Amending the constitution | History of direct democracy | Campaign finance requirements | |
