IN THE COUNTY LEGISLATURE OF JACKSON COUNTY, MISSOURI
Title
A RESOLUTION congratulating Carson Ross on the occasion of his retirement after 16 years of service as the Mayor of Blue Springs, Missouri.
Intro
RESOLUTION NO. 21600, April 15, 2024
INTRODUCED BY Jeanie Lauer, Megan L. Marshall, Jalen Anderson, Donna Peyton, Manuel Abarca IV, Venessa Huskey, Charlie Franklin, DaRon McGee, and Sean E. Smith, County Legislators
Body
WHEREAS, Carson Ross, a Blue Springs resident for nearly 50 years, has a long history of public service, and is retiring after 16 years as Blue Springs Mayor, the first African American to serve in that role; and,
WHEREAS, Mayor Ross was born in Warren, Arkansas, is a 1964 graduate of Bradley County High School, and a 1977 graduate of Rockhurst University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration; and,
WHEREAS, Mayor Ross is a United States Army Vietnam Combat Infantry Veteran and the recipient of several meritorious citations including two Valorous Unit Awards; and,
WHEREAS, in 1988, Mayor Ross was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives where he served for 14 years, including a term as Republican Whip; and,
WHEREAS, Mayor Ross is widely recognized for his many contributions to the betterment of Eastern Jackson County through his service as Chair of the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) Board of Directors, Co-Chair of the MARC Total Transportation Policy Committee, President of the Eastern Jackson County Betterment Council, and Chairman of the Mayor’s Advisory Board for the Little Blue Valley Sewer District; and,
WHEREAS, Mayor Ross has a long history of public service, including his tenure as Chairman of the Blue Springs Personnel Board, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Blue Ridge Church of Christ, and has demonstrated his dedication to healthcare and community development by serving on the Board of Trustees for Centerpoint Medical Center, and President of St. Mary’s Medical Center Board of Associates; and,
WHEREAS, outside of Mayor Ross’s public service roles, he worked for 39 years for Hallmark Cards and is the President of Graves & Ross Investment Co., dba Smoking Hill Bar-B-Que at the Lake of the Ozarks; and,
WHEREAS, Mayor Ross has been the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions for his dedicated service, including the 2017 Martin Luther King, Jr. Legacy Award, the Distinguished Service Award from the Missouri Municipal League, Senior Service Award from Missouri Lt. Governor Peter Kinder, and the 2015 KC Globe Lifetime Award of the Most Influential African Americans in the Greater Kansas City Area; and,
WHEREAS, Mayor Ross was married to his late wife, First Lady Eloise, for 49 years before her passing on August 28, 2019, and together they have three daughters, Rechele, Carla, and Diana, six granddaughters, one grandson who is deceased, three great-grandsons, and one great-granddaughter; and,
WHEREAS, Mayor Ross married First Lady Ola Truelove-Ross in Maui, Hawaii on March 23, 2023, and in retirement they look forward to many years of travel and spending time with family; now therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the County Legislature of Jackson County, Missouri that the Legislature hereby extends its sincerest congratulations and heartfelt gratitude to Mayor Carson Ross for his outstanding service and leadership to the City of Blue Springs and surrounding regions; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature wishes Mayor Ross a joyful and fulfilling retirement, filled with well-deserved rest, relaxation, and continued success in all his future endeavors.
Enacted and Approved
Effective Date: This Resolution shall be effective immediately upon its passage by a majority of the Legislature.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
____________________________
County Counselor
Certificate of Passage
I hereby certify that the attached resolution, Resolution No. 21600 of April 15, 2024, was duly passed on April 15, 2024 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