Senate adopts substitute for county government bill expanding local salary options and auditor authority

The Missouri Senate adopted a substitute to Senate Bill 1 and later perfected and ordered the substitute printed after floor consideration Tuesday. The senator from Dallas carried the substitute and said it consolidates local government provisions previously included in a larger omnibus package that courts struck down.

The adopted substitute would let counties other than charter counties seek salary increases for coroners up to $14,000 above statutory compensation if approved by the local salary commission; allow coroners who temporarily fill a sheriff vacancy to receive the sheriff's pay while performing sheriff duties; permit third-class county salary commissions to amend base salary schedules to include assessed valuation factors above specified thresholds; and set new salary schedules and require salaried rather than fee-based pay for public administrators (with salary commission approval). The substitute also clarifies that county auditors may examine and audit claims for which the county has a fiduciary duty, language the sponsor and an intervening senator said was aimed at providing auditors access when public administrators oversee ward accounts.

A provision to allow county collectors to conduct delinquent tax sales by electronic media was discussed at length during committee and on the floor. Several senators raised concerns about online tax-sale security, the potential for out-of-state or corporate investors to use online auctions to buy residential properties, and whether the option would disadvantage local purchasers. At the sponsor’s request the substitute removed the online tax-sales language after consultations with county collectors; the sponsor said collectors asked that the provision be withdrawn so the bill could move forward and that he would continue working on secure language.

Floor questions also covered carve-outs in the substitute. The bill excludes Boone County’s sheriff from the general salary schedule to avoid an automatic pay cut in that county due to size and local circumstances; the sponsor said Boone County commissioners support the change. Discussion also clarified that the auditor-access language targets oversight of fiduciary accounts administered by public administrators, where auditors previously lacked clear statutory authority to audit ward accounts.

The Senate adopted the substitute by voice vote, then perfected and ordered the substitute printed. The action recorded on the floor was voice approval; the transcript does not contain a roll-call count.