Townships
Township boards are responsible for maintaining roadways and bridges in the rural parts of the county. Township officials are elected in the odd-number year during the April Municipal Elections.
Texas County is one of twenty-two counties in Missouri that operates under the township
form of county government. There are currently seventeen townships in Texas County.
A township is a recognized political sub-division of the state of Missouri. For
more information on this form of government a person may look at chapter 65 of the
Revised Statutes of Missouri. Townships are responsible for the maintenance of roads
and bridges within their geographic boundaries. Each township has four elected positions
that are elected in the odd number years at the General Municipal Election day in
April. The four positions are Treasurer-Trustee, Clerk and two Board Members. The
board usually meets monthly at a public forum and is open to the public. The townships
have two tax levies. One tax levy is for administrative purposes and one tax levy
is for road and bridge purposes. These levies are set before the first day of September
each year. Taxes are assigned against all real property, personal property, rail
road property and utility property within their boundaries. Since the mid 1980’s
the townships have contracted with the county for additional funds from the county
based on their total miles of public roadway to the county’s total roadway mileage.
The county receives money from the state gas tax, state motor vehicle fees and sales
taxes on vehicles. As funds become available the county completes major bridge projects
with funds from the federal government. Outside incorporated communities paved public
roadways are maintained by the state. Most township roadways are gravel roads; however
some township roads are paved.
Since the establishment of the county’s 911 emergency
phone system all township public roadways are named either a road or a drive. A
road connects to another public roadway. A drive is a public roadway that dead-ends.
Lanes and trails are private roadways that have at least three residents located
on them. The townships do not maintain lanes and trails.
