Title VI — COUNTY, TOWNSHIP AND POLITICAL SUBDIVISION GOVERNMENT

65.010. Adoption. — There is hereby provided an alternative form of county government for counties of the third and fourth classes as authorized under the provisions of Section 9, Article VI of the Constitution of Missouri, 1945, to be known as the "township organization" form of…

65.020. Adoption, abolishment — vote necessary. — The township organization form of county government shall not become operative unless adopted by a vote of the majority of the voters of the county voting upon the question. All counties of the third and fourth classes which have …

65.030. Proposition submitted — election held, when — form of ballot. — 1. Upon petition of at least ten percent of the voters at the last general election of any county of the third or fourth classes praying therefor, which said petition shall be filed in the office of the clerk…

65.040. Abstract of returns. — The clerk of the county commission shall cause an abstract of the returns of said election to be made out and certified as in election for state and county officers and* record the same at length upon the records of the county commission of the coun…

65.110. Officers to be chosen. — 1. There shall be chosen at the biennial election in each township one trustee, who shall be ex officio treasurer of the township, one township clerk, and two members of the township board. 2. Upon the assumption of office of a county assessor ele…

65.130. List of the officers elected. — The township clerks shall transmit to the county clerk, to be filed in his office, a list of the names of the township officers so elected, within five days after such election shall have been held. ­­-------- (RSMo 1939 § 13950) Prior revi…

65.140. Officers — notification of election. — The township clerk shall, within ten days after such township election, transmit to each person elected to any township office a notice of his election. ­­-------- (RSMo 1939 § 13951, A.L. 1978 H.B. 971) Prior revisions: 1929 § 12274…

65.150. Eligibility for office. — No person shall be eligible to any township office unless he shall be a voter and a resident of such township. Such person serving as a township officer must remain a resident of the township for the duration of his or her term. ­­-------- (RSMo …

65.160. Oath — shall assume office, when. — Every person chosen or appointed to the office of township trustee and ex officio treasurer, member of the township board, or township clerk, before such person enters on the duties of his or her office and within ten days after such pe…

65.170. Certificate — acceptance. — Such person shall, within ten days thereafter, cause such certificate, together with his acceptance of the office, to be filed in the office of the township clerk; his neglect or refusal so to do shall be deemed a refusal to serve. ­­-------- (…

65.180. Refusal to serve — forfeiture. — Any person chosen or appointed to fill any township office, who shall refuse to serve, shall forfeit to the township the sum of one hundred dollars for the use of the contingent fund, and said forfeiture, if not otherwise paid, shall be co…

65.183. Removal of township officers, procedure. — Any person serving as a township officer may be removed from the township board by a majority vote of the other board members for failing to attend two or more consecutive meetings of the board. ­­-------- (L. 2005 H.B. 58)

65.190. Failure to take oath — forfeiture. — If any township officer who is required by law to take the oath of office shall enter upon the duties of his office before he shall have taken such oath, he shall forfeit to the township the sum of one hundred dollars, to be collected …

65.200. Vacancies in office — how filled. — Whenever any township shall fail to elect the proper number of officers to which such township may be entitled, or when any person elected or appointed shall fail to qualify, or when any vacancy shall happen in any township office from …

65.210. Warrant of appointment — notification to appointee. — Whenever any appointment shall be made, as provided in section 65.200, the township board shall cause a warrant of appointment to be filed in the office of the township clerk, who shall immediately give notice to the p…

65.220. Resignations, how accepted. — The township board may, at any legally convened meeting, for a good and sufficient cause shown to them, accept the written, dated, and signed resignation of any township officer; provided, that in all cases where the action of the township bo…

65.230. Compensation of officers. — The following township officers shall be entitled to compensation at the following rates for each day necessarily devoted by them to the services of the township in discharging the duties of their respective offices: (1) The township clerk, as …

65.250. No fee for oath. — No township officer shall be entitled to any fee from any officer for administering the oath of office. ­­-------- (RSMo 1939 § 13988, A. 1949 H.B. 2021) Prior revisions: 1929 § 12311; 1919 § 13224; 1909 § 11712

65.260. Powers of townships. — Each township, as a body corporate, shall have power and capacity: (1) To sue and be sued, in the manner provided by the laws of this state; (2) To purchase and hold real estate within its own limits for the use of its inhabitants, subject to the po…

65.270. Corporate power, limitations of. — No township shall possess any corporate powers, except such as are enumerated or granted by this chapter, or shall be specially given by law, or shall be necessary to the exercise of the powers so enumerated or granted. ­­-------- (RSMo …

65.280. Proceedings by or against township — conveyances. — All acts or proceedings by or against a township in its corporate capacity shall be in the name of such township and county; but every conveyance of land within the limits of such township, made in any manner for the use…

65.290. Board of directors — duties. — In each township in this state, organized under the provisions of this chapter, there shall be a board of directors, composed of the township trustee and members of the township board, whose duty it shall be: (1) To audit all accounts of tow…

65.295. Board may expend one-fourth of revenue on city streets. — The board of directors of any township may expend not more than one-fourth of the revenue accruing to it from taxes levied upon property situated within the limits of any city, town or village within the township f…

65.300. Board of directors — meetings. — The township board of directors shall meet on a quarterly basis, or more frequently as deemed necessary by the board, for the purpose of transacting township business. The meetings of the township board shall be held at a location within t…

65.310. Board of directors — president. — The township board of directors shall, at their first meeting in each year after they have been elected and qualified, appoint one of their number as president of said board, who shall sign all orders and official acts of said board. ­­--…

65.320. Claims against township — procedure. — Any person having a claim or account against the township may file such claim or account in the office of the township clerk, to be kept by the said clerk, and laid before the township board at their next meeting; provided, however, …

65.330. Audited accounts to be on file. — The accounts so audited, and those rejected, if any, shall be delivered to the township clerk, to be by him kept on file, and subject to the examination of anyone desiring so to do. ­­-------- (RSMo 1939 § 13979) Prior revisions: 1929 § 1…

65.340. Claims against township, collection. — When any claim or account, or any part thereof, shall be allowed by the township board of directors, they shall draw an order upon the township trustee in favor of the claimant for the amount so allowed said order to be signed by the…

65.350. Board compelled to allow appeal, when. — In all counties in this state that have adopted or that may hereafter adopt township organization, if any township board, clerk or other officer thereof fail to allow an appeal in the cause when the same ought to be allowed, or if …

65.360. Township charges. — The following shall be deemed township charges: (1) The compensation of township officers for their services rendered in their respective townships; (2) Contingent expenses necessarily incurred for the use and benefit of the township; (3) The moneys au…

65.370. Moneys to be collected, how. — The moneys necessary to defray the township charges of each township shall be levied on the taxable property in such township, in the manner prescribed in the general revenue law for state and county purposes. ­­-------- (RSMo 1939 § 13981) …

65.380. Estimate of expenses. — The township board of directors shall, annually, not less than twenty nor more than sixty days prior to the first day of September, make out and file with the clerk of the county commission of their county an estimate of the amount of money require…

65.390. Division of townships into road districts. — The township board of directors shall have power to divide their townships into convenient road districts, and may, at their April meeting, change the same in such manner as the interest of the township may demand. ­­-------- (…

65.400. Missouri products — purchase of. — Every commission, board, committee, officer or other governing body of any township in this state authorized to make purchases for the use of their township, shall purchase and use only those materials, products, supplies, provisions and…

65.410. Clerk — general powers and duties. — The township clerk of each township shall have the custody and care of all records, books and papers belonging to his office; and he shall file in his office all certificates, oaths or other instruments of writing required by law to be…

65.420. Township clerk to be clerk of township board. — The township clerk shall be the clerk of the township board of directors, and shall keep a true and correct record of all official acts and proceedings of said board of directors, in a book provided for that purpose at the e…

65.440. Copies of papers to be evidence in courts of record. — Copies of all papers, duly filed in the office of the township clerk, and certified to be true and correct, shall be evidence in all courts of record in this state, and in all courts of inferior jurisdiction within th…

65.450. Procurement of books and stationery. — The township clerk shall procure, under the direction of the township board, and at the expense of the township, all necessary record books and other books and stationery for the use of the township. ­­-------- (RSMo 1939 § 13975, A.…

65.460. Township trustee, collector. — Every person elected or appointed to the office of township trustee and ex officio treasurer, before such person enters on the duties of his or her office, and within ten days after such person's election or appointment, shall execute and de…

65.470. Trustee to receive and pay over moneys — suits on default. — The township trustee and ex officio treasurer of each township shall receive and pay over all moneys raised therein for defraying township expenses; provided, that before entering on the duties of his office he …

65.480. Action to enforce penalties and forfeitures — employment of counsel. — The township trustee shall cause suit to be instituted in the name of the township for all penalties and forfeitures given by law to such township, in all cases where no other officer is specially dire…

65.490. Township funds, how paid out — school district funds, duties of trustees. — The township trustee and ex officio treasurer shall not pay out any moneys belonging to the township for any purpose whatever, except upon the order of the township board of directors, signed by t…

65.500. Accounts — annual settlement — report to board. — 1. He shall keep a correct account of all moneys coming into his hands by virtue of his office, from what source received, and what amount, of the amount paid out, to whom paid, and on what account, in a book to be kept by…

65.510. All books and papers to be delivered to successors. — Whenever the term of office of any township officer shall expire, and others are elected or appointed and qualified as their successors, such successors shall, immediately after entering upon the duties of their office…

65.520. Treasurer to settle annually with board for school funds — certified copy. — 1. The township treasurer shall, annually, between the first day and the tenth day of July of each year, settle with the township board and account for all school moneys received, from whom and o…

65.530. Township boundaries and new townships, how changed and constituted. — The county commission of each county shall have power to alter the boundary of townships and to increase or diminish their number, as follows, viz: Upon the petition of one-fourth of the voters of the t…

65.540. Creation of new township — duties of county clerk. — The county clerk shall, within thirty days after the county commission has established any new township, or changed the boundary lines of any or all the townships in their respective counties, transmit to the secretary …

65.550. Proceedings in case of neglect or refusal to organize. — 1. In case any township in any county in which township organization has been or may hereafter be adopted shall refuse or neglect to organize and elect township officers at the time required by law for holding towns…

65.560. Failure of appointed officers to qualify — annexation of townships. — Whenever it shall be made to appear to the county commission that the township officers appointed by them, as provided in section 65.550, shall have failed to qualify as required by law, so that such to…

65.570. Division of township — disposition of property. — When a township, seized of real estate, shall be divided into two or more townships, the township trustees and county assessor of the several townships constituted by such division shall meet as soon as may be after the fi…