JEFFERSON CITY — A measure (HB 163) approved by the Missouri Legislature and sent to the governor contains similar provisions included in SB 99, sponsored by Sen. Joe Keaveny, D-St. Louis, which would make the City of St. Louis Public Administrator an appointed position, rather than an elected one. House Bill 163, which addresses certain elections and government ordinances, states that the public administrator would be appointed by a majority of the circuit judges and associate circuit judges of the 22nd Judicial Circuit Court.

“I’m very pleased that my sponsored language was included in this bill to improve the governmental structure of our great City of St. Louis,” Sen. Keaveny said. “By converting the Office of the Public Administrator from a fee-based office to a salaried office, in which its services would be paid for by the county, public administrators can continue to represent the citizens of our community who are most in need of a guardian or conservator.”

Public administrators in St. Louis, who represent people before the Probate Division of the St. Louis Circuit Court, charge fees to the estates they administer and heirs pay the cost of their services. However, public administrators often serve people who are incapacitated, and these citizens often do not have estates to which fees can be charged for their guardian’s services. The majority of cases that the City of St. Louis public administrator observes are situations when guardians cannot charge a fee against an inheritance or estate, thus putting the public administrator in a difficult position. By placing the Office of the Public Administrator under the structure of the City of St. Louis, Sen. Keaveny notes that public administrators could better serve their clients, thanks to more adequate funding and resources.

House Bill 163 contains an emergency clause, meaning if signed by the governor, the legislation would take effect immediately. To learn more about this bill and Sen. Keaveny’s sponsored SB 99, visit the Missouri Senate website at www.senate.mo.gov.