Clay County Halts Annex Spending

The Clay County Commission announced that they have stopped the spending of of taxpayer dollars related to pausing work on a site which was to be the future location of a new Annex. They are also looking into ways to recover some of the money which has already been spent.

Previous Commissioner Gene Owen singlehandedly, and often quietly, approved millions in expenses on the annex project as the county's sole designee for construction approval

According to County Auditor Victor Hurlbert, Clay County has spent more than $4.9 million on the site to date. About $2 million of that was for the land purchase.

The controversial $18 million county annex project is effectively on hold until Clay County's new commissioners and staff can fully understand contracts and expenses approved by former Western Commissioner Gene Owen and supported by former Eastern Commissioner Luann Ridgeway.

In the last election, neither Owen nor Ridgeway sought re-election. Before leaving office, both commissioners moved forward on the annex near North Brighton Avenue and Missouri 152 Highway.

Commissioners Owen and Ridgeway moved forward with purchasing land for a new Annex years ago despite public opposition. Opposition came from taxpayers, all three current county commissioners and other elected leaders whose offices provide services in the Annex. Ridgeway and Owen argued a new Annex was needed because the current one was not made for the functions it serves, has issues with internet connectivity and is hard for residents to find.

KMBC Channel 9 News had reported that they had discovered Owen singlehandedly, and often quietly, approved millions in expenses on the annex project as the county's sole designee for construction approval.

In January of this year, Presiding Commissioner Jerry Nolte, Carpenter and Eastern Commissioner Megan Thompson directed staff to pause expenditures related to the new site.

“We need to make sure we are doing responsible spending of the taxpayers’ money,” said Nolte in the first meeting of the new commission.

“We have not allocated a single additional taxpayer dollar on the new Annex since I took office,” Thompson told the Courier-Tribune this week. “You do not throw good money after bad. My goal is to use our resources to address basic community needs like law enforcement and roads and bridges.”

Commissioner Thompson has indicated that she would also like to see the land sold. “It is my goal to recoup as much of the money wasted by the previous commission as possible,” she said.

Ending construction of a new Annex is not the first step current commissioners have taken to stop the bleeding of taxpayers' money committed by previous commissioners. Earlier this year, contracts with high-priced, outside legal and lobbyist firms and legal opposition to the state audit were also ended. These efforts saved taxpayers millions. 

KPGZ News - Jim Dickerson contributed to this story