Missouri Senate

Senate Substitute

COUNTY COMMISSIONER VACANCIES (Section 49.060)

Currently, when there is a vacancy in the office of county commissioner, the Governor is required to fill such vacancy with a person who resides in the district at the time of vacancy. This act changes that process so that when there is less than one year remaining in the term, the vacancy shall be filled by appointment by the Governor but if there is one year or more remaining in the term, the Governor shall appoint an eligible person with the advice and consent of the Senate. These procedures do not apply to charter counties.

This provision is identical to SB 665 (2018), substantially similar to the perfected SB 114 (2017), SB 701 (2016), and SCS/SB 289 (2015), and similar to a provision in HCS/HB 1632 (2016).

COUNTY BIDDING REQUIREMENTS (Sections 50.660 and 50.783)

Current law provides that counties must advertise a request for bids for contracts and purchases of more than $4,500 with any one person or corporation during a 90-day period. This act provides that the bidding requirement applies to contracts or purchases involving expenditures of more than $6,000.

Current law requires a county commission to seek competitive bids or proposals on single feasible source purchases of $3,000 or more, and advertise for bids on such purchases of $5,000 or more. This act requires the commission to seek bids and advertise on single feasible source purchases of more than $6,000.

This provision is substantially similar to SB 770 (2018).

DUTIES OF COUNTY OFFICIALS (Section 54.140)

This act provides that a County Treasurer may have access to documents he or she requests when signing a warrant and shall not have responsibilities taken from them by any county official or employee.

This provision is substantially similar to SB 1086 (2018).

COUNTY ROADS AND BRIDGES (Sections 65.610 and 65.620)

This act specifies that ballot questions to abolish the township form of government in a county shall also provide for a countywide tax for road and bridge purposes.

This provision is identical to SB 940 (2018).

ADDING FRANKLIN COUNTY TO BI-STATE (Section 70.370)

This act adds Franklin County to the compact between Missouri and Illinois creating the Bi-State Development Agency and the Bi-State Metropolitan Development District.

This provision is identical to the perfected version of SB 757 (2018) and SB 411 (2017).

KANSAS CITY POLICE SALARIES (Section 84.510)

This act raises the maximum compensation level for lieutenant colonels, majors, captains, sergeants, master patrol officers, master detectives, detectives, investigators, and police officers in Kansas City.

This provision is identical to SB 973 (2018) and HB 2070 (2018).

SALE OF MUNICIPALLY-OWNED UTILITIES (Section 88.770)

Currently, cities of the fourth classification may only sell their interest in a municipally-owned utility when ratified by a 2/3 vote. This act lowers the voter-approval threshold for the sale of a water or wastewater system, or a gas plant, by such cities to a majority vote. The Board of Aldermen shall hold a public meeting at least 30 days prior to any such vote.

This provision is identical to SCS/SB 658 (2018), and similar to provisions contained in HCS/HB 1947 (2018), CCS/HCS/SCS/SB 11 (2017), HCS/HB 247 (2017), HCS/SB 30 (2017), and HCS/SCS/SB 112 (2017).

PUBLIC SAFETY SALES TAX (Section 94.900)

This act adds the cities of Centralia and Lebanon to the list of cities authorized to propose a sales tax for the purposes of improving public safety. Such sales tax, if approved by the voters, would be at a rate of 0.5%.

This provision is identical to SCS/SB 885 (2018).

VACANCIES IN ELECTED OFFICES (Section 105.030)

This act modifies two provisions relating to vacancies in certain elected offices.

Under current law, whenever any vacancy occurs in any office filled by election, other than the offices of Lieutenant Governor, state senator, state representative, sheriff, or St. Louis City Recorder of Deeds, the Governor is responsible for appointing a successor until the next general election. This act adds a new provision permitting the county commission to appoint a person to the vacated office within 14 days of the vacancy. In the event that the county commission consists of two members who cannot come to an agreement on an appointee, the acting presiding commissioner shall fill the vacancy. Such appointees shall continue in office until the Governor appoints a person to serve out the remainder of the term. This provision does not apply to charter counties or to the offices of any associate circuit judge, circuit clerk, prosecuting attorney, or circuit attorney.

Under current law, whenever there is a special election to fill a vacancy in a state or county elected office, the person elected will take office on the first Monday in January following the election, except if the term for the office to be filled begins on a date other than the first Monday in January, in which case the appointed person will stay in office until such other date. This act removes the exception such that a person elected at a special election to fill a vacancy in any state or county elected office shall always take office on the first Monday in January following the election. This provision does not apply to charter counties or to the offices of any associate circuit judge, circuit clerk, prosecuting attorney, or circuit attorney.

This provision is identical to SB 774 (2018).

ELECTION WAIVERS FOR SMALL TOWNS (Section 115.124)

Under current law, any municipality with less than 1,000 inhabitants may adopt a proposal allowing for the waiver of any election to a nonpartisan office if the number of candidates for the office is equal to the number of positions available and if no ballot measure is placed on the ballot. This act increases the population threshold to 2,000.

This provision is identical to SB 876 (2018) and HB 1446 (2018).

ST. FRANCOIS COUNTY ROAD AND BRIDGE TAX (Section 137.556)

This act corrects the description of St. Francois County in a provision of law relating to expenditures of the county's special road and bridge tax moneys.

This provision is identical to SB 650, and similar to SCS/HB 87 (2017), and a provision contained in HCS/SB 332 (2017) and HCS/SB 146 (2017).

SCHOOL DISTRICT ANNEXATION ELECTIONS (Section 162.441)

Under current law, in order for a school district to become attached to a community college district, a petition must be submitted to the school board of the school district signed either by voters of the district equal in number to ten percent of those voting in the last school election at which school board members were elected or by a majority of the voters of the district, at which point an election must be called. This act provides that a community college district may, by a majority vote of its board of trustees, propose a plan to the voters of the school district to attach the school district to the community college district, levy a tax rate equal to the rate applicable to the community college district at the time of the vote of the board of trustees, and call an election upon the question of such plan. The community college district shall be responsible for the costs associated with the election.

This provision is substantially similar to SB 990 (2018).

MIKE WEAVER