Jackson County executive’s office shares cancer update and urges countywide pay study

Caleb Clifford, speaking for the county executive’s office, told the Jackson County Legislature on Aug. 25 that the county executive recently underwent surgery to remove cancer and asked legislators to accept his thanks for messages of support. "He asked that I share his heartfelt and sincere thanks and appreciation," Clifford said.

Clifford also urged the legislature to move quickly on an update to the county’s compensation study, which was completed in 2020 and implemented in the 2021 budget. "For it to be done and to be put into the 2026 budget, that compensation study has to move quickly," Clifford said, arguing the review should apply countywide rather than focusing only on directors or deputy directors.

Vice Leader Manuel Barker and other legislators questioned the timing and requested records: Barker asked when the prior study was finished and whether the county executive’s office would share a letter it previously sent to the governor; Clifford said the letter had been released in response to an open-records request and deferred legal or charter questions about succession to the county counselor’s office. When asked who would run the county if the county executive were incapacitated, Clifford said operational authority is defined by the charter and referred detailed succession questions to the county counselor.

Clifford said inflation and scheduling have made the update timely, and that the county executive supports awarding a contract to solicit bids for a new, countywide study to ensure equity across positions. Legislators did not take formal action on the request during the Aug. 25 session; staff indicated the study would need to be scheduled and funded soon if results are to be included in next year’s budget.