Shanna Burns, 41, is running against Samantha Price in the Republican primary for Platte County public administrator. Price did not respond to the Citizen's questionnaire. Current administrator Jera Pruitt is not running for re-election and no Democrats have filed for the November race.
Burns has been a resident of Platte County for more than 20 years. She is married and has three children.
She has worked in the public administrator's office since 2018 and in that office she said she has had the opportunity to learn the various roles in which the public administrator serves. She has also had the opportunity to get to know the wards that the public administrator is appointed to.
“I am very well aware of what the job entails and I have the skill set needed to complete the job,” Burns said.
She is running for the position of Platte County public administrator because she believes in the importance of the work being done by this office and she wants to ensure that the wards being cared for by this office have continuity of care. If elected she believes that it will be a smooth transition for the wards as well as the hundreds of agencies, facilities, caregivers, and family members that she works with daily.
“I am a good choice for the position because I am uniquely qualified,” Burns said. “Not only do I have experience working with those with disabilities due to my time spent working in the public administrator’s office, I also have experience working with loved ones with disabilities in my personal life. Through both experiences I have increased my understanding of disabilities, increased my empathy for others, learned how to advocate successfully, and learned how to access a multitude of resources.”
Concerning problems the county and district are facing she believes the primary problem that affects the wards served by the Platte County Public Administrator’s Office is lack of funding, specifically for mental health and developmentally disabled services.
“This problem is not unique to Platte County, however,” Burns said. “For our mentally ill population this might mean less access to respite beds during crisis situations. For our developmentally disabled population this might mean fewer waivers awarded which provide them with the daily support they need to live in their own homes. This is a problem that we are constantly addressing.”
If elected, she will tackle those problems by continuing to work with the various agencies that manage those resources to determine what can be done to obtain the resources the wards need. She will also look at other resources to find creative solutions whenever possible.
“I will advocate for funds to be allocated to our vulnerable citizens,” Burns said.