Court officials say budget stalemate is delaying safety upgrades, staff hires at Jackson County courts

Beverly Newman, court administrator for the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit, told the Jackson County Legislature on May 15 that a dispute over the 2025 county budget has stalled court spending and delayed “critical safety concerns” and staffing requested for next year.

Newman said the court submitted its budget “consistent with” what she described as “the requirements of the charter” and with “section 5 0.64, revised Missouri statutes,” and that the court is operating under the 2024 budget while the new appropriation ordinance remains unapproved. “It has been and will continue to be the court's practice to manage our resources very conservatively,” Newman said.

The court administrator said several new decision items in the 2025 request are being held up by the delay. Those items include two additional full‑time equivalents for the civil process department that Newman said are needed so “we have 2 people at each of the evictions and high risk service…