Making Local Government More Efficient
As the chairman of the Senate Local Government and Elections Committee, I relish the opportunity to make local government more efficient and responsive to citizens’ concerns. Much of this work is mundane and unexciting, but all of it is important. City and county governments are much closer to the people they serve than are governments at the state and federal levels. That makes government efficiency at the local level vital to the functioning of Missouri’s varied communities.
This legislative session, my committee has looked into the filling of county commissioner vacancies, in order to ensure seamless continuity. We’ve also explored county bidding requirements. In the past, even small counties have had to go through the onerous mandates of bidding for public projects, even when those projects are just for routine maintenance. In an effort to address the concerns of county governments we’ve heard from, my committee is working to make these minor projects less costly.
The Local Government and Elections Committee has also been looking at infrastructure concerns. In the area I represent, the 12th Senatorial District of Northwest Missouri, there are many different forms of local government. Some of the townships I’ve spoken with would like to transition into a county form of government, yet they often fear being able to pass a road levy. A simple fix here would be to combine the two goals; citizens under a township form of government would then be able to vote for a county form of government and an accompanying road levy at the same time.
As always, please feel free to call, email or write with your ideas or concerns. My Capitol office number is (573) 751-1415, my email is dan.hegeman@senate.mo.gov and my mailing address is Room 332, State Capitol Building, Jefferson City, MO 65101.