A major theme of the campaign season is accountability of government. Next Tuesday, Jackson County voters can permanently make our county government more ethical, efficient and accountable.
The ballot asks voters to revise the county charter, as recommended by an independent review committee. One change would require county executives to seek competitive bids on professional services contracts exceeding $5,000. Now, there is no such ceiling.
The new charter would create a single entity to hear ethics complaints against elected officials, employees and volunteers of the county. It would broaden what constitutes discrimination by adding protections based on a person’s gender, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation or pregnancy status. These would exceed state and federal protections.
Finally, the amended charter would create automatic review of the charter every 10 years by a citizens committee. This would help keep the charter timely to meet the needs of changing government.
Your “yes” on Tuesday can help assure a better future for Jackson County.
Mike Sanders
Jackson County Executive
Independence
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