County sees an unusual number of board openings

Several vacant seats on Cape Girardeau County’s 16 boards will need to be filled in 2018 in an unusual turn of events, Commissioner Charlie Herbst said.

The Industrial Development Authority Board will have an opening, as will the Board For The Developmentally Disabled.

The Stormwater Advisory Committee has four openings, and the Road And Bridge Advisory Board has three positions to fill. Each vacant position oversees a portion of the county known as a township; the three townships are Shawnee, Hubble and Liberty.

Cape Girardeau County’s 16 boards each have different duties and budgetary responsibilities. Members are appointed for terms of varying lengths.

Most board positions are filled by an appointee of the county commissioners, Herbst said.

The first step for anyone interested in serving on a board is to contact the county commission office and request a form, Herbst said.

“Some folks fill out the form and say they want to be on any board, and some folks designate they want to be on a particular board if there’s an opening,” Herbst said.

Typically, if someone is serving on a board and his or her term expires, the commissioners will offer to reappoint that person, Herbst added.

Sometimes people have resigned because they moved from the area, for instance, but Herbst said in the time he’s been a commissioner, he never has seen anyone removed from a board.

The process can involve an interview if the applicant isn’t familiar to the commissioners, Herbst said, and because there are quite a few openings now, he anticipates some interviews will be necessary.

It just so happens several openings have become available at once, Herbst said.

The county boards do not have term limits, unlike the city of Cape Girardeau’s boards, for example, Herbst said.

Herbst said he, Presiding Commissioner Clint Tracy and Commissioner Paul Koeper have lived in Cape Girardeau County for many years, and as a result they are familiar with several people and their strengths.

“If somebody applies we don’t know who they are, we visit for a few minutes,” Herbst said, adding it’s important for applicants to know and understand the responsibilities and purpose of the board to which they’re applying.

Several of the boards have fiduciary responsibilities, as dictated by state law, Herbst said. That is to say, the board receives a portion of tax revenue and distributes it according to rules imposed on them by the state.

The county commission acts as the boards’ fiscal agent, Herbst said, but each board is self-regulating, by state statute.

Some boards are advisory only, Herbst said. The Park Advisory Board, for example, answers to the county park superintendent and acts as a way to get direct feedback from residents, Herbst said.

Herbst said though there are 16 boards with multiple members each, “there always seems to be an applicant or two on file for something.”

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630

Pertinent address:

1 Barton Square, Jackson, Mo.

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Cape Girardeau County boards

• Domestic Violence Authority Board: six members, distributes funds to shelters for victims of domestic violence.
• Industrial Development Authority Board: seven members, develops commercial, industrial, agricultural and manufacturing facilities in the county.
• Mental Health Board: 13 members, administers County Mental Health Fund to establish and support community mental-health services or facilities.
• Board of Park Commissioner: seven members, makes suggestions and plans for any land acquired for use as a county park. No budgetary powers.
• SEMO Port Authority Board: nine members, four each from Cape Girardeau County and Scott County, with one rotating position changing from county to county every two years. Encourages investment and fosters economic development within the port district.
• Riverside Regional Library Board: 15 members, five each from Cape Girardeau County, Perry County and Scott County. The board sets policy, budgets and manages funds, hires an administrative librarian and carries out long- and short-range planning. Funded by a library tax.
• Sheltered Workshop Board: nine members, establishes and/or operates a sheltered workshop. Funded by a sheltered workshop tax.
• County Welfare Commission: four members, advises the County Family Services Office. No budgetary responsibilities.
• Senior Citizens Service Fund Board: seven members, administrative control and management of funds collected from senior citizens’ service fund and all programs funded by it.
• Enhanced 9-1-1 Advisory Board: seven members, advises the county commission on the 911 system. Funds collected are from a telephone tax.
• Cape Girardeau County Transit Authority: five members, oversees the Cape Girardeau County Transit operation. Funding sources include Cape Girardeau County, cities of Jackson and Cape Girardeau, AAA, United Way and donations.
• County Law Enforcement Crime Restitution Board: five members, oversees the Cape Girardeau County Law Enforcement Restitution Fund. Funds collected are from court-case fees.
• Road and Bridge Advisory Board: 11 members, one from each of 10 townships in the county, one at-large position. Purpose is to provide public input on county highway policies.
• Cape Girardeau County Common Sewer District Board: five members, responsible for control and operation of the sewer district.
• Enhanced Enterprise Zone Board: seven members appointed by the county commission: one from the public school districts, one from the taxing entities, one each from Cape Girardeau and Jackson, and three from the county commission. Reviews and assesses applications within the zone, submits annual report to the Missouri Department of Economic Development. No budgetary responsibilities.
• Board of Equalization Appointed Members Board: two members appointed by the county commission. Hears complaints and equalizes valuation and assessments upon personal property taxable by the county. No budgetary responsibilities.