Revised handbook for Missouri municipal officials

Abstract

The purpose of this manual is to familiarize elected municipal officials with the place of local government in the federal system, the basic legal structures of local government, their duties and responsibilities, and the various agencies and organizations which provide information and aid to local governments. It should be pointed out, however, that the following pages deal with the topics in a general way. Definitive answers to various duties and responsibilities are beyond the scope of this work. Indeed, municipal officials and academics are handicapped by outdated laws and the lack of a municipal code (a document or section of the statutes which includes all pertinent laws pertaining to local government). Presently, the laws are scattered throughout the five volumes of Missouri Revised Statutes-1969 which includes 564 chapters and 5,161 pages including the general index. This revised edition of the Handbook includes several additional sections and one new chapter. The new sections include discussions of: (1) the city administrator form of government; (2) conflict of interest; (3) towns and villages; (4) home rule and the new home rule amendment; and (5) a revised glossary of terms and appendix. The new chapter is entitled, "Sources of Revenue." --Introduction.