Platte County Commissioner Joe Vanover announced he is running for re-election on the Republican ballot on Aug. 6. Vanover represents the northern part of Platte County. He was first elected in 2020. He is married to Julie Vanover, a former school board member at the Platte County R-3 school district where their son and daughter graduated.
Vanover is highlighting his conservative values and his support for law enforcement in his campaign. Previously, he served as an assistant prosecutor for Platte County and as a special prosecutor for federal crimes.
Vanover
“In my years as a prosecutor, I saw the terrible effects of crime too many times,” Vanover said. “Platte County sits on the edge of a major city. We are also on the edge of a slippery slope. In too many liberal cities crime is out of control. Will Platte County continue to be a great place to build a life and raise a family? Or will it start to believe the fantasy that you can stop crime with more therapy and more welfare? Platte County has all it needs to stay safe and vibrant for years to come, but we need a detention center that is big enough to put the criminals.”
“I am driven to get things done. The job of being a county commissioner can be a challenge, but I enjoy the challenge,” Vanover stated. He added, “Politics on the bigger scale can get dirty, but in local government it is possible to be successful while treating people fairly and being professional about it.”
In 2022, Vanover was part of the leadership team that renewed Platte County’s roads sales tax for another ten-year period at a reduced rate. “Because Platte County had already replaced most of its older bridges, we were able to lower this sales tax from 3/8 cent to 1/4 cent,” Vanover said. Platte County voters supported the lowered roads sales tax by 71% voting yes and only 29% against. Platte County consumers are saving over $3 million every year thanks to the tax cut.
Vanover announced the biggest issue facing county government is that the county jail is full. He said, “The number of inmates in the county jail peaked above 200 in every month in recent years. It was built 25 years ago for about 150 inmates. Temporary beds were added a few years ago to increase to 180 inmates. It is time we agree on a solution that will work for the next 25 years.”
When Vanover was sworn in four years ago, he announced his priority would be to help the county government adopt modern business practices and make the transition to the post- Covid period. Two months later, Platte County unexpectedly learned it would receive $20 million from the federal government for Covid relief under the American Rescue Plan Act. “The $20 million windfall is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to renovate our buildings and improve our technology to meet the needs of today and tomorrow without costing local taxpayers anything,” Vanover commented. Vanover immediately organized a Covid Response Committee to study how the money could be spent to offer a more convenient and safer customer experience for citizens doing business with county offices. Many of the ideas are now being implemented.
During his first term in office Vanover led the efforts to activate two long-dormant parks department assets. The county parks department purchased 100 acres of rolling hills in southern Platte County in 2002. Within a few months of Vanover taking office, the county parks department started development work on the land and opened the Michael Gunn Park at Platte Meadows on April 22, 2022.
Vanover also worked to find a use for a Civil War era log cabin that the county parks department had purchased and spent $1 million to preserve. Vanover commented, “I hate to see money wasted, and when I learned we had spent so much money to preserve a log cabin that was nearly forgotten, I had to find a use for it.” The Mizzou Extension office has moved into parts of the cabin property and plans to invite artists to live and work in the cabin for residency programs several times during the year. The Mizzou Extension will also use the grounds for master gardener programs and 4-H programs.
Vanover can be reached regarding county business at his county commissioner telephone number (816) 858-3333 or by email at joe.vanover@co.platte.mo.us.