Sedalia’s City Council adopted a statement Monday night critical of the Pettis County Commission for continuing to withhold funds amid litigation over building code inspections at the county jail.

By voice vote at the end of Monday’s meeting, the council agreed to a statement deemed a “call for action”, asking residents to complain to the commission about withholding Sedalia’s share of funds from Pettis County’s Bridge and Roads tax since the city filed suit in April 2023. City administrator Kelvin Shaw says until the suit, the city had received its share of funds since the tax was first passed in 2000.

The statement comes after a Johnson County court issued a judgment Thursday, Aug. 15 in favor of the commission, saying that while state law requires county buildings including the jail be subject to inspection by the city they’re located in, the city’s attorneys failed to provide sufficient evidence.

Shaw says the amount withheld since last year currently totals $548,000.  He adds that the city continues to weigh their legal options.

First Ward Councilman Jack Robinson introduced the statement during the “Miscellaneous Items” portion of Monday’s meeting.  The vote was not unanimous, as councilman Tom Oldham voiced opposition.

KMMO News has reached out to the Pettis County Commission for comment.