Lake pledges department audit as Jackson County officials meet constituents
Newly elected leaders outlined priorities including property tax relief and filling five vacant financial roles before the January 4 swearing-in.
By Ibrahim Howard ·
New Jackson County leaders met with South Kansas City residents Monday night to present their initial policy goals.
The gathering, hosted by the South Kansas City Alliance, featured introductions from several incoming officials who took questions and discussed upcoming county business.
Carla Fields, the elected representative for District 1 At-Large, identified property taxes as her primary objective. She noted that county residents recently renewed the COMBAT Tax measure for an additional decade. Fields also emphasized her intent to ensure seniors receive necessary support services upon taking office.
Jackson County Legislative Chair Donna Peyton addressed the crowd regarding current tax billing. She stated that residents will soon receive their bills and that those eligible for credits will be identified on the documents. Peyton directed residents with further inquiries to the county website or the email address taxquestions@jacksongov.org. She confirmed that the newly elected officials will be officially sworn in on Jan. 4.
Executive-elect Stacy Lake proposed an audit of all county departments as a first-day action. She explained the review aims to identify issues and ensure departments operate efficiently so residents can track tax expenditures. Lake warned that the county faces potential budget difficulties next year due to several unstaffed core offices.
Lake listed five critical vacancies: Director of Finance, Director of Collections, Recorder of Deeds, Director of Human Resources, and Director of Assessment. She described these roles as essential for generating revenue and accurate budgeting, marking the staffing gap as a leading issue for January.
Lake stated that the general funds levy was not increased, which could create a budgetary shortfall. She indicated that the full extent of the financial gap will become clear once projected numbers are released.
