IN THE COUNTY LEGISLATURE OF JACKSON COUNTY, MISSOURI
Title
A RESOLUTION recognizing Ray James for his service and congratulating him on his retirement after many years of notable public service.
Intro
RESOLUTION # 16380, August 13, 2007
INTRODUCED BY Dan Tarwater, County Legislator
Body
WHEREAS, Ray James, born in Sedalia, Missouri, received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1963 from Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, his Master of Public Administration from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1989, and his Chancellor's Certificate in Public Administration from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 2006; and,
WHEREAS, Ray taught undergraduate and graduate level university courses in addition to teaching English, Russian, Social Studies, and American History in the Kansas City Public Schools; and,
WHEREAS, Ray was elected and served with distinction in the Missouri House of Representatives representing the 5th and 31st Districts from 1967-1973, received the St. Louis Globe Democrat Award as Outstanding Legislator in 1972, served as Minority Whip for the 76th General Assembly, served as Vice Chairman for the Citizens Conference on Legislative Modernization, and served as Chairman of the Missouri Highway Reciprocity Commission; and,
WHEREAS, in 1981 Ray was appointed Director of the Missouri Department of Revenue where he supervised 1500 employees, managed a 24 million dollar annual budget, restored internal desk audits of taxes, and reactivated the Criminal Investigation Bureau for the State of Missouri; and,
WHEREAS, Ray served on the Kansas City Council from 1979-1981, was appointed Vice Chairman of the Council Committee on Legislation, and acted as council representative for the Mid-America Regional Council; and,
WHEREAS, as Republican Director for the Kansas City Board of Election Commissioners, Ray has further distinguished himself in elections by instituting the first electronic voter registration system in Missouri, supervising Missouri statewide elections, upgrading and modernizing the electronic vote tabulation system, and selecting and implementing the network for in-house administration of all records; and,
WHEREAS, Ray served as Election Consultant and Observer for the Republic of Moldova, Election Supervisor in Bosnia-Herzegovina Municipal and Parliamentary Elections in 1995 and 1997, Election Observer of the Parliamentary Election for the Republic of Macedonia in 2003 and 2005, and International Observer of the Parliamentary Election for the Republic of Azerbaijan in 2005; and,
WHEREAS, Ray has been active in civic and cultural affairs in Kansas City, having received the L.P. Cookingham Award-Distinguished Public Service Career in 2000 from the Kansas City Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration, and served on the Board of Governors, American Royal from 1979-1981, Kemper Arena Corporation from 1979-1981, Friends of Art (Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art), St. Andrew's Scottish-American Society, the General Society of Mayflower Descendants, and served as President for the Native Sons of Kansas City in 2001; now therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the County Legislature of Jackson County, Missouri, that the Legislature hereby recognizes and congratulates Ray James for his outstanding dedication and service to the citizens of Jackson County and State of Missouri throughout the years and extends best wishes for his future endeavors upon his retirement.
Enacted and Approved
Effective Date: This Resolution shall be effective immediately upon its passage by a majority of the Legislature.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
____________________________ ______________________________
Chief Deputy County Counselor County Counselor
Certificate of Passage
I hereby certify that the attached resolution, Resolution # 16380 of August 13, 2007 was duly passed on August 13, 2007 by the Jackson County Legislature. The votes thereon were as follows:
Yeas _______7________ Nays ______0________
Abstaining ____0_____ Absent _____2_______
________________________ ____________________________
Date Mary Jo Spino
Clerk of Legislature