County Legislature

Overview

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Welcome Jackson County Residents!

 

 

 

 

Rules & Responsibilities

Regular Meetings

The Jackson County Legislature is required to hold at least 48 regular meetings each year as stated in the Constitutional Home Rule Charter of Jackson County, Missouri. While each meeting remains open to the public, if attendance is not essential, you may watch live stream video of the legislative meeting on the county's website at jacksonco.legistar.com

Responsibilities

The County Legislature is responsible for all legislative duties in the County, including the introduction and enacting of all County resolutions. They are also responsible for the introduction and enacting of all County ordinances subject to the approval or veto of the County Executive. A veto by the Executive can be overridden by six votes of the Legislature. Read Rules of the County Legislature here(PDF, 274KB).

Members

Six County Legislators are elected from six local districts of similar size, each representing about 1/6 of the County’s constituents. Three County Legislators are elected from three "at-large" districts of similar size. Every citizen in Jackson County is thereby represented by two County Legislators. View the individual Legislator's page for more details, including contact information.

Committees

Anti-Crime Committee

The Anti-Crime Committee handles matters relating to proposed policies concerning and expenditures out of the County’s Anti-Crime Sales Tax Fund.

Recent activity

Budget Committee

The Budget Committee oversees matters relating to the County’s budget and the Legislature’s budget priorities.

Recent activity

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

The Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee handles matters relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion, both internally for County associates and externally for County residents by creating policy in which a person’s unique background experiences and perspectives are at the forefront in fostering and creating a truly equitable County.

Recent Activity

Finance & Audit Committee

The Finance & Audit Committee oversees matters relating to the assessment and collection of taxes, county finances and management and geographic information systems, county purchasing policy, the county auditor’s office and legal advisor to the Legislature, as set out in Chapter 2 of the County Code, and acquisitions affecting multi-departmental or countywide operations.

Recent activity

Health & Environment Committee

The Health & Environment Committee handles matters relating to the Medical Examiner’s Office and County health-related and environmental programs.

Recent Activity

 

Housing & Homelessness Committee

The Housing & Homelessness Committee handles matters relating to efforts to research and identify root causes of homelessness and houselessness and the development of informed and strategic methods to provide affordable, sustainable, and safe housing, to include preventive programming for residents of the County addressing long-term housing solutions.

Recent Activity

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Inter-Governmental Affairs Committee

The Inter-Governmental Affairs Committee handles matters relating to the relationships between the County and the federal, state, and other local governments, including lobbying activity and oversight of the lobbyist to the Legislature as set out in Chapter 2 of the County Code.

Recent Activity

Justice & Law Enforcement Committee

The Justice & Law Enforcement Committee oversees matters relating to the Courts, Corrections Department, and Sheriff’s and Prosecuting Attorney’s Offices.

 Recent Activity

Land Use Committee

The Land Use Committee handles matters relating to the Parks and Recreation Department, Harry S Truman Sports Complex, and consideration of development permits and applications under the County’s Unified Development Code.

Recent Activity

 

Public Works Committee

The Public Works Committee oversees matters relating to the Public Works and Economic Development Departments.

 

Recent Activity

 

Rules Committee

The Rules Committee handles matters relating to the Rules of the Legislature(PDF, 274KB).

Recent Activity

Veterans Committee

The Veterans Committee handles matters relating to the physical, emotional, social, and economic well-being of veterans in the County, including healthcare, housing, and employment, and oversight of the relationships between the County and federal, state, and other local governments that impact the well-being of veterans and their families.

Recent Activity

911 Oversight Committee

The 911 Oversight Committee oversees matters related to the public safety communications infrastructure within the County, focusing on the efficient, strategic utilization of revenues received through the 911 cell phone tax in a manner that maximizes public safety and the safety of first responders through coordinated efforts with agencies that serve County residents.

Recent Activity

Jackson County Legislature

 

Recent Activity

Arts and Culture (ad hoc)

The committee will support and advance the County’s creative economy, cultural institutions, and community-based arts. Creating broad access to, and investment in, community arts and cultural expression. Ensuring that the County establishes and enforces the preservation of local art within our physical spaces.

Goals:

  • Evaluate all decommissioning of art created, displayed, and acquired by the County.
  • Evaluate the funding streams for the creation of, the display, and historical preservation of art within the County.
  • Expand efforts to prioritize regional artists, and the perpetuation of their work beyond the County boundaries.

 

  • Jalen Anderson - Chair
  • Venessa Huskey
  • DaRon McGee
  • Charlie Franklin

 

Bicentennial Innovation (ad hoc)

The committee will lead the planning and coordination of the County’s bicentennial. The committee will develop inclusive commemorations and events that honor the County’s history, reflect its communities, and set a forward-looking vision for the next century. Also, in commemoration of this moment, we will collect items to be entombed within a bicentennial time capsule. Any currently entombed time capsule will be exhumed, and the committee will work in collaboration with the Jackson County Historical Society, the Kansas City Museum, Historic Kansas City Foundation, and other entities of historic preservation to catalog and preserve the items inside.

Goals:

  • Develop a public celebration for the bicentennial.
  • Create a 100-year aspirational plan.
  • Create a new 100-year time capsule and open any current capsule.

  • DaRon McGee - Chair
  • Sean E. Smith
  • Venessa Huskey
  • Manuel Abarca IV

 

County Infrastructure and Strategic Planning (ad hoc)

The committee will guide long-term planning for County infrastructure, aligning capital investments with growth, resilience, and strategic priorities for the next decade and beyond.

Goals:

  • Develop a 5-, 10-, and 20-year strategic plan for the County.
  • Initiate planning and executing capital investments for long-term use.
  • Set a Next Hundred Year vision for the County.

 

  • Manuel Abarca IV - Chair
  • DaRon McGee
  • Jalen Anderson
  • Venessa Huskey

 

Emerging Issues (ad hoc)

The committee will evaluate all legislative priorities that do not fall directly within a committee which addresses their specific needs or issues.

Goals:

  • Vet the necessities of efforts.
  • Determine impact of legislation to advance within the County.

 

  • DaRon McGee - Chair
  • Charlie Franklin
  • Venessa Huskey
  • Jeanie Lauer

Jackson County Legislative Youth Advisory (ad hoc)

The committee is meant to empower youth voices and shall empower legislators to bring students--who are the next generation of leaders--together to prioritize the future of their County.

Goals:

  • Prioritize a top 10 list of County priorities/needs from the youth.
  • Find legislative paths to support top 10 lists.
  • Identify volunteer opportunities for the Legislature to participate in across the County.

 

New Neighbors (ad hoc)

The committee will explore access to housing, transportation, education, and community services, with the goal of supporting successful integration and ensuring growth benefits both new and longtime residents of Jackson County. Refugee, immigrant, migrant, and every other neighbor should have equal access and representation in our County.

Goals:

  • Evaluate all front-facing efforts of the County to ensure the prioritization of accessibility to all County resources.
  • Ensure County services aren’t negatively impacting or targeting diverse communities.
  • Create genuine connections and policies amongst ALL neighbors prioritizing relationships over politics.

 

  • Jalen Anderson - Chair
  • Venessa Huskey
  • Donna Peyton
  • Megan L. Smith

 

Property Tax Reform (ad hoc)

The committee will address all matters pertaining to property tax reform internally and externally, managing all necessary changes to policy and procedures.

Goals:

  • Regularly meet with ALL taxing jurisdictions to determine policy solutions to get to fair taxation.
  • Ensure that school districts and other taxing jurisdictions do not have significant shortfalls due to policy.
  • Communicate and collaborate reform efforts within the county and at the state level, advocating for greater localized control for all taxing efforts.

 

 

Regional Transit (ad hoc)

The committee will focus on coordination between jurisdictions, system capacity, and long-term mobility solutions that support economic growth, accessibility, and seamless travel for residents and visitors throughout the region.

Goals:

  • Work with regional partners to determine the viability of a regional funding source within 100 days.
  • Evaluate and leverage current County infrastructure to determine areas for more regional collaboration between all cities within Jackson County.
  • Study and develop a system of interconnected, multi-jurisdictional/county transit opportunities.

 

  • Venessa Huskey - Chair
  • Donna Peyton
  • Charlie Franklin
  • DaRon McGee

 

Regionalism (ad hoc)

The committee will advance coordination and partnership across the multi-city region to address shared challenges, align policy priorities, and promote sustainable economic growth, infrastructure investment, and regional prosperity.

Goals:

  • Bridge divides across the state line, County boundaries, and municipalities.
  • Address “big problems” that are not simply solved by one community or stakeholder group.
  • Lead across our municipalities within the County.

 

  • Donna Peyton - Chair
  • Sean E. Smith
  • Manuel Abarca IV
  • DaRon McGee

 

Reparations and Reform (ad hoc)

The committee will examine historical and present-day harms and develop policy recommendations and execute clear changes within County infrastructure to address racial inequities and promote repair, accountability, and justice.

Goals:

  • Evaluate all titled roads, parks, statues, and physical property within the County to ensure ALL communities are respected.
  • Understand the County’s history and find solutions to empower harmed communities and make whole opportunities.
  • Work with community partners to create an opportunity for appropriate and significant benefit to finding equity across the County.

 

  • Donna Peyton - Chair
  • DaRon McGee
  • Charlie Franklin
  • Venessa Huskey

 

Stadium Strategy and Innovations (ad hoc)

The committee will oversee strategic planning and policy related to professional sports stadiums, with a focus on public investment, economic impact, and community benefit.

Goals:

  • Lead efforts along with the County Executive to plan for the renewal of the stadium tax.
  • Evaluate the future of the Chiefs and Royals within Jackson County.
  • Work collaboratively with the County Executive to strategize the futures for the stadiums.

 

  • DaRon McGee - Chair
  • Sean E. Smith
  • Donna Peyton
  • Jalen Anderson

 

World Cup (ad hoc)

The committee will examine economic impact, infrastructure needs, community engagement, and legacy benefits, ensuring that any hosting plans reflect local priorities, deliver lasting value for residents, and effectively communicate all efforts from the County pertaining to World Cup Activities.

Goals:

  • Vet any direct funding requests.
  • Quantify and qualify how the County is contributing to these efforts.
  • Work with the County Executive to understand what the World Cup Planning committee has planned.
  • Quantify and qualify any community benefits.

 

  • Venessa Huskey - Chair
  • Donna Peyton
  • Sean E. Smith
  • DaRon McGee

 

WWII Memorial (ad hoc)

The committee will explore and advance the feasibility of establishing a World War II monument/memorial in the County, focusing on historical preservation, educational impact, site planning, and regional partnerships.

Goals:

  • Construct and develop a monument and memorial.
  • Appropriately honor and memorialize those veterans and regional industrial support workforce.
  • Partner with localized museums and historical societies to elevate community involvement.

 

  • Venessa Huskey - Chair
  • Sean E. Smith
  • Charlie Franklin
  • Jalen Anderson

 

 

Legislative Calendar

 The Jackson County Legislature is required to hold at least 48 regular meetings each year as stated in the Constitutional Home Rule Charter of Jackson County, Missouri.

Meetings are held at 3:00 p.m. each Monday except for holidays and rescheduling due to conflicts.

Jackson County Courthouse
415 E 12th Street
2nd Floor Legislative Assembly Area
Kansas City, MO 64106
View Map

Holidays

The Legislature normally does not meet the weeks of Memorial Day (May) or Labor Day (September).

Open to Public

All meetings are open to the public. 

  

 

 
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Weekly Activity Calendar

Legislation & Supporting Departments

View agendas, journals and legislation in our Legistar database at the link below. The Clerk of the County Legislature and Legislative Auditor departments support and report to the County Legislature.

 

 

 

Related Information

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