IN THE COUNTY LEGISLATURE OF JACKSON COUNTY, MISSOURI
Title
A RESOLUTION expressing the appreciation of the Jackson County Legislature for their friend and colleague, Ronald E. Finley, commending him on his record of public service and congratulating him on his acceptance of a position with the State of Missouri.
Intro
RESOLUTION #15349, January 10, 2005
INTRODUCED BY Dan Tarwater, Robert Stringfield, Henry Rizzo, Fred Arbanas, Scott Burnett, Dennis Waits, Rhonda Shoemaker, and Bob Spence, County Legislators
Body
WHEREAS, Mr. Finley has resigned from his position of 2nd District County Legislator in order to accept a position with the legislative branch of the State of Missouri where he will continue his public service career and assistance to the community and the residents of Jackson County, Missouri as chief of staff for State Senator Yvonne Wilson; and,
WHEREAS, Ronald E. Finley has served with distinction as a Jackson County Legislator since his first election to the position of 2nd District County Legislator in 1998; and,
WHEREAS, Mr. Finley was reelected to the position of 2nd District County Legislator in 2002 and has served as chairman of the Finance & Audit Committee and the Inter-Governmental Affairs Commirree and as a member of the Rules Committee; and,
WHEREAS, Mr. Finley began his career in public service as a staff attorney with Legal Aid of Western Missouri from 1979 - 1980 and then served as an Assistant City Prosecutor for Kansas City, Missouri from 1980 - 1990; and,
WHEREAS, Mr. Finley was elected to the City Council of Kansas City, Missouri in 1991 and served two terms wherein he established his reputation as a leading advocate for the poor and downtrodden of the community and as an advocate for government accountability; and,
WHEREAS, Mr. Finley's time on the County Legislature has established his reputation as a fiscal conservative and his attention to details; and,
WHEREAS, Mr. Finley is well known as an attorney in our community for over 20 years as an attorney in private practice specializing in civil litigation, workers compensation, domestic relations, and bankruptcy law; and,
WHEREAS, Mr. Finley was an associate attorney with the law firm of North, Colbert and Fields in Kansas City from 1977-1979; and,
WHEREAS, Mr. Finley has also been a teacher, and high school football and track coach; and,
WHEREAS, Mr. Finley earned his Juris Doctorate and Masters of Law degrees from the University of Missouri at Kansas City, following his attainment of a B.A. in Education from that university; and,
WHEREAS, Mr. Finley is very active in many community, legal, and political organizations; and,
WHEREAS, Mr. Finley is a lifelong resident of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the proud father of three daughters; and,
WHEREAS, Mr. Finley's well-known sidelong glances in response to comments often revealed a twinkle in his eyes; and,
WHEREAS, Mr. Finley's presence as a Legislator will be missed by his colleagues; and,
WHEREAS, the County Legislature looks forward to continuing to work with Mr. Finley in his new role wherein he will use his extensive knowledge of local government to assist Jackson County residents; now therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the County Legislature of Jackson County, Missouri, that the members of the Legislature congratulate Ronald E. Finley and hereby express their appreciation for the many years of dedicated public service of Ronald E. Finley, our friend and colleague.
Enacted and Approved
Effective Date: This Resolution shall be effective immediately upon its passage by a majority of the Legislature.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
____________________________ ______________________________
Acting Chief Deputy Counselor County Counselor
Certificate of Passage
I hereby certify that the attached resolution, Resolution #15349 of January 10, 2005 was duly passed on _________January 18_____________, 2005 by the Jackson County Legislature. The votes thereon were as follows:
Yeas ______9_________ Nays _______0_______
Abstaining ____0_____ Absent _____0_______
________________________ ____________________________
Date Mary Jo Spino, Clerk of Legislature