Fiscal Friday: Leadership Starts at the Top, Not the Paycheck

As we wrap up a week of looking at the 2025 "tax challenges," one number stands out more than any other: 30%.

Last November, 60% of the voting Salary Commission (which includes the County Clerk) voted to increase the base pay for their own positions by 30%. To put that in perspective for the hardworking families of Platte County:

• The 30% Choice: While property assessments were being hiked by nearly 7% through a "Memorandum of Understanding," six officeholders decided their own roles were worth a massive salary jump.
• The 2.5% Reality: At the very same time, the front-line county employees—the people who actually process your paperwork, maintain our roads, and keep our community safe—were capped at a 2.5% cost-of-living adjustment.

The Watchdog Perspective: In my 30 years as a business owner, I’ve learned that you don't reward the "Executives" with a windfall while the "Team" gets the bare minimum—especially when the "Customers" (you, the taxpayer) are feeling the pinch.  I was fortunate enough to be sponsored by my business bank to the Ewing Kaufman FASTTRAC program.  During that program we learned what good corporate ethics were and that Mr. Kaufmann believed that every employee contributed to the owner’s success!  And it was your duty, as an owner, to make sure the employees shared in the success of the company.  Marion Labs was renowned for making millionaires of their employees, including the custodial staff!  These lessons served me well attracting skilled labor to work for my company.

As your County Clerk, my focus will be on:

• Fairness for Staff: Ensuring our budget prioritizes the people doing the work, not just the people holding the titles.
• Fiscal Restraint: Standing against self-serving pay hikes that ignore the economic reality of our residents.  It will also compel me to look at the fiscal structure of the Clerk’s office to save the County General funds when and where state statutes allow.
• Transparent Budgeting: No more "quiet" votes on salary increases. You deserve to know how every dollar is spent.  While I am sure the meeting was open to the public, I was not aware it was going to take place.  I would do my best through use of cost effective social media and county resources to inform the public of meeting where decisions will be made that affect your tax dollars.

I’m running for Clerk to be a Watchdog, not to join a club that puts its own raises ahead of the people it serves.

Do you think a 30% raise for politicians is "conservative" when employees are capped at 2.5%? Let’s talk about it in the comments.

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