Clay County Commission Business Session April 30, 2026

The Clay County Commission held a business session on April 30, 2026, during which several procurement and budget-related items were addressed. The commission approved multiple consent agenda items including invoice payments totaling over $720,000, the purchase of a 2026 Ford Maverick for the Planning and Zoning Department, a rental contract for inflatable carnival games for upcoming celebrations, and a marketing matching grant application with a match of up to $90,000 through the Missouri Division of Tourism. A significant portion of the meeting was devoted to a detailed audit update on errors in the senior tax credit program, specifically related to tax billing inaccuracies caused by manual data entry and software issues from the current tax collection software provider, Ascend. The commission discussed the financial impact, ongoing remediation efforts, and the need to hold the software company accountable, including withholding payments and considering a new software provider. Commissioners emphasized the importance of accurate tax billing and timely distribution of funds to taxing jurisdictions, with a recommendation to have representatives from the software company appear before the commission to address these issues. The commission also noted plans to review responses to a recent RFP for new tax collection software. No votes were taken on new contracts during this meeting, but clear action items were established to improve procurement and software performance going forward.