The Liberty City Council meets on the second and fourth Monday of every month. The current council is pursuing goals established in 2008, as well as working to implement the ballot measures that were approved by Liberty voters Nov. 4, 2014.
The City Council of Liberty, Mo. splits the city into four wards. Respectively, two city council members represent each ward, elected in four-year terms. In addition to Mayor Lyndell Brenton, council membersare Paul Jenness, Harold A Phillips, Greg Duncan, Jeff Moore, Jeff Watt, Kevin Graham, Michael Hagan and Gene Gentrup. The mayor and city council both implement policy and community goals by determining the tax rate, establishing the budget and hiring department heads.
City Council meetings are open to the public and held on the second and fourth Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in Liberty City Hall. Citizens are given the opportunity to speak in open meetings during citizen participation or public hearings.
The most recent goals were established Jan. 2008, and have been a guide for developing budgeting plans and the direction the city should take for future years’ work. They include maintaining and expanding infrastructure, encouraging civic education and collaboration, improving the city’s economic vitality and enhancing the distinct character and amenities of the city.
More specifically, the council’s 2014 legislative program takes these goals into consideration while moving forward to implement legislation for the city. These legislative endeavors include an economic development tax, public safety sales tax and a hotel transient tax. The economic development tax, approved in the most recent midterm election, will be a sales tax around three-eights of a percent on all retail sales made in the city of Liberty. This would directly fund improving public safety throughout the city. The hotel tax, which recently approved in the midterm election, will bring Liberty, Mo. to the same tourist tax rates of surrounding cities, such as Independence, Mo. and Gladstone, Mo., while providing additional revenue for the city.
Again, the Liberty City Council expects to hear citizen opinions and foster citizen-council collaboration to acheive these goals; the body encourages Liberty residents to attend meetings or contact their ward representatives with any questions or ideas.