Condensed County Financial Statement

On Wednesday morning, the House Local Government Committee voted “do pass” on HB 352, sponsored by Rep. Peggy McGaugh (R-Carrollton). The committee vote was 16-0. HB 352 requires a condensed county financial statement to be published on or before June 30th each year in local newspapers in all counties of the first, second, third, or fourth classification. The bill language includes publication of the name and current gross annual salary of each elected or appointed county official. Another portion of HB 352 deals with political subdivisions that fail to submit their required annual financial statements and that fail to pay fines. The bill allows for the reduction or elimination of fines under certain circumstances. The legislation, supported by the Missouri Press Association, was passed in HB 1606 in 2022 but was tossed out by the Missouri Supreme Court in 2023 because of other problems with that bill.