Legislature approves cooperative agreements for domestic violence services and a sheriff contract for supervised visitation deputies

The Jackson County Legislature on May 5 authorized two items the body described as supporting victims and family-court services.

First, the legislature approved a request (reported from the Health and Environment Committee) authorizing the county executive to execute cooperative agreements with agencies that provide services to victims of domestic violence at an aggregate county cost not to exceed $128,295. A committee member noted these funds are continuous—collected annually for domestic-violence services—and cannot be used for other purposes. The clerk recorded the roll call as seven yes, one no and one abstention on the measure’s committee report and final passage was recorded as seven yes, one no and one abstention (per the clerk’s roll calls).

Second, the legislature adopted resolution 21869 authorizing the Jackson County Sheriff to execute a contract with the Family Court Division of the 16th Circuit Court of Missouri to provide deputies to assist with the Family Court’s supervised visitation program. Legislator Marshall asked whether there would be any budgetary component; the clerk recorded adoption of the sheriff contract with nine yes votes.

Both actions were presented to the full legislature and adopted by roll call as recorded by the clerk. The domestic violence cooperative agreements are limited by ordinance/fund restrictions noted at the meeting to domestic-violence purposes only and the sheriff contract applies to deputies assisting with supervised visitation through the Family Court.