OZARK, MO — Transparency in county government. Like a breath of fresh air. Finally coming to Christian County!
Lynn Morris, current Eastern District County Commissioner, will be sworn in as Presiding Commissioner Dec. 30. And with him, new ideas and much more transparency.
Gone are the days of Presiding Commissioner Ralph Phillips and his lack of public accountability.
(By the way, Phillips is seeking to get on the school board in Ozark. Ouch. That would a colossal mistake!)
public safety, quality of life new focus
The new Christian County Commission will focus on public safety and quality of life issues, Morris told the CCT.
But it won’t be his ideas. Ideas will come from three different age groups.
“We are seeking interested people ages 20 to 39, 40 to 59, and 60 plus,” Morris explained. “In January, we will meet with all three groups together, and then split up in future meetings after that.”
Each age group will come up with ideas and areas of concern they want to see improved in the county. Getting a different perspective from different ages is healthy and helpful in forming programs to create public safety and quality of life, Morris said.
Past County Commissioners to be on a Panel
The new county commission will seek input from past county commissioners as well. “We have a wealth of knowledge and experience that we want to rely on,” Morris said.
Zoom meetings for the county
“We’re going back to zoom meetings for the public to watch and participate in,” Morris continued. “I don’t know why they ever stopped having those.”
“We want to enhance our transparency with the pubic and other elected officials. I’m excited about citizens being able to ask questions in person at each of our county commission meetings.”
Frequency and location of all meetings will be determined by the volunteers and elected officials involved.
To begin with, county commission meetings will include a discussion time prior to the official meetings on Tuesday mornings in the Christian County courthouse.
“We will have a work study session for back-and-forth comments. This will be so helpful. We haven’t met much in the past two years. We want things to be done legally and open to the public. We will meet upstairs next to my office on the second floor,” Morris said.
Cities and Counties need to work together
Morris says there is no reason the county and cities can’t work together to make parks and recreation developments better. In addition, if MoDOT doesn’t get around to trimming weeds along the highway, the county will do so and send MoDOT the bill. “The idea is to get things looking right and being done on time. It’s a collaborative effort between county, cities, and state,” Morris said.
We like his enthusiasm!
Law Enforcement must work together
Branson and Springfield have become crime centers, Morris said. The overlap may well reach Christian County. Homelessness and poverty are real concerns. Illegal immigration affects all of us more than ever.
“Police departments and county sheriff’s must work together; they must be trained and ready to protect our interests,” Morris said.
Sales tax drives the county funds
The county gets most of its revenue from sales tax. The schools get most of theirs from property tax.
Therefore, Morris and newly appointed Eastern District Commissioner Brad Jackson and existing Western District Commissioner Hosea Bilyeu will encourage a “buy local” mentality.
“We will all work on ways to increase sales locally,” Morris said. “We must educate our students and everyone to buy and support local.”
Explain how budget works
Amy Dent, county auditor, will be on tap to explain how the county budget works. The public is invited to all meetings and is encouraged to be part of the process.
Meetings will take place in Sparta, Clever, Billings, Nixa, and other areas as needed. Morris is the Presiding Commmissioner for the next four years. Contact him at LynnMorris2012@gmail.com with your name, age group, e-mail and phone if you want to be considered for an idea group.
New year, new budget
No projects are on the horizon to get the county into debt, Morris said. However, many items will be discussed in January about the new budget. “Thankfully, we have enough cash flow to sustain us for nine months,” Morris said. “Our budget is healthy.”
Morris encourages the public to attend meetings as the budget is discussed in January. Beyond that, he looks forward to meeting with people about new ideas and ways to improve communication and fuction of the county government.
What a breath of fresh air! What a far cry from the past commission under the likes of Ralph Phillips! (our opinion, not Morris’ words. Get upset at the CCT, not Morris, if you like Phillips. We are an opinion and news source.)
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