OSAGE COUNTY — Western District Commissioner Dale Logan expressed strong opinions about the Osage County Republican Central Committee during the March 3 commission meeting following recent disputes between the committee and county officials over the Republican candidate filing process. The dispute centers on the committee’s candidate vetting process and the handling of Republican filing fees by the Osage County Clerk’s Office.

The committee recently announced it had rejected Presiding Commissioner Darryl Griffin’s 2026 candidacy under the Republican label, citing Griffin’s refusal to complete the committee’s vetting process, his refusal to pay the filing fee to the committee’s treasurer, and his alleged comments about using taxpayer funds to oppose the committee. Griffin denied those claims, stating he had completed all filing requirements required by state law through the Osage County Clerk’s Office, and that he would never misuse taxpayer funds.

On March 2, the committee also filed a formal election complaint with the Missouri Secretary of State’s office alleging that County Clerk Brooke Dudenhoeffer failed to promptly forward candidate filing fees to the committee treasurer as required by RSMo 115.357. The complaint alleges Dudenhoeffer accepted filing fees from multiple candidates filing as Republicans beginning Feb. 24 but did not promptly forward those fees to the committee.

Logan said he had become aware of Facebook posts discussing the issue and criticizing the clerk’s office.

“I was made aware of, some will refer to it as, negative Facebook posts,” Logan said. “Everybody knows I’ve made it very clear how I feel about the negative crap on Facebook, and the cesspool that thing is.”

Logan said the posts suggested the clerk’s office had not turned over registration fees to the Republican committee in a timely manner.

“I understand that there were some posts made insinuating that the clerk’s office wasn’t turning in registration fees to our Republican committee in a timely manner,” Logan said. “After looking at the statute, there isn’t a specific time listed. It says ‘promptly,’ if I recall.”

Logan said his understanding was that the fees had been forwarded to the committee within four business days.

“So I don’t quite understand the negative comments — the misleading of the public that our Osage County Republican Committee continues to do,” Logan said. “They did it to me several months ago.”

Logan also criticized the committee’s vetting process, saying he had learned that even current officeholders must complete the vetting process again if they seek reelection.

“What about my voting record here? What about the things I talk about here? I think I’ve proven I’m a conservative, but yet I have to vet again,” Logan said.

Logan questioned why the committee was not working more closely with Republican elected officials in the county.

“Has our Osage County Republican committee been hijacked by a bunch of radicals, or what’s going on here?” Logan said. “As you know, I’m a conservative, and I am a strong conservative. Everybody who knows me knows that, but yet why is our committee not working with elected Republicans? I just don’t understand it.”

Logan said he had attempted to work with the committee.

“I’ve reached out. I’ve extended that olive branch and was shot down,” Logan said. “It’s like they don’t care. I don’t understand it. What do we do to fix this?”

Logan also said he believed the committee’s social media posts included false accusations against Griffin.

“They had one against our presiding commissioner that he was threatening to use county funds for this,” Logan said. “We sit in these meetings every week. It’s all on record. Nobody has ever heard Darryl say something like that.”

Logan said Griffin has not even sought reimbursement for travel related to county business.

“Darryl doesn’t even charge mileage. I charge miles, and I drive a lot of miles for this county, putting them on my vehicle driving down county roads,” Logan said. “Darryl has been here for seven years and hasn’t turned in mileage, and yet they make a false accusation that he’s wanting to misuse county funds.”

Logan said he believes the accusations circulating on social media are misleading residents.

“These people are posting these false accusations on Facebook and misleading the taxpayers of Osage County,” Logan said. “When they’re lies; they’re flat-out lies.”

Logan also criticized the committee’s internal operations and said he believes it no longer reflects the views of many local Republicans.

“You know, we have I don’t know how many Republicans that have filed or are running for election, but I know only one has done the vetting,” Logan said. “Why aren’t they reaching out and working with people instead of trying to shove this down everybody’s throat and threatening and being bullies? I don’t like bullies, and I don’t tolerate bullies.”

Logan also questioned whether the committee allows public participation in its meetings.

“I was told these are closed meetings,” Logan said. “They don’t have open meetings for people to attend and speak at? What the hell is that all about?”

Logan said he believes the committee has moved away from representing local residents.

“I don’t think they have the same values that Osage Countians have,” Logan said. “I think we have to take that committee back — or start our own and start a new one — and get Osage Countians on it and take care of this county the way it needs to be taken care of.”

• Scott Kliethermes of Rush Truck Center attended the March 3 meeting to present paperwork related to the county’s recent dump truck purchase for the Road & Bridge Department. Commissioners signed the necessary documents, including the manufacturer’s statement of origin and title application, which Griffin later delivered to the Department of Revenue to complete the vehicle’s registration. Kliethermes also provided warranty information and confirmed the truck is ready for pickup by the county.

• Eastern District Commissioner Jeff Peters broached the subject of meeting only once a week. “How do you all feel about moving our meetings just a Tuesday, going all day until it gets done, rather than coming into two days for a couple hours,” he asked.

Logan said he wasn’t opposed to the idea after finding out at the County Commissioners Association of Missouri (CCAM) conference how many other counties meet only once a week. “If a class one county is able to get their business done in one day, I wouldn’t think Osage County would have a problem with it,” Logan said. “ I’d certainly be open to it, but I think I probably want to hear, you know, how the taxpayers felt about it.”

Griffin said he wasn’t opposed to maybe twice a month only meeting one day a week, however he wasn’t sure one day a week would be sufficient to get everything signed on the days they needed to be signed.

Commissioners also discussed the possibility of holding occasional evening meetings to allow residents who work during the day to attend.

No decisions were made, as the commissioners wanted to ask for more taxpayer input.

• Commissioners also mentioned the need for improved human resources support for county employees.

They noted that progress on updating the county employee handbook has been slow, and discussed hiring a firm or consultant to assist with HR services. Responsibilities could include maintaining employee handbooks, overseeing hiring and termination procedures, assisting with employee leave policies and helping coordinate payroll deductions related to benefits.

County Treasurer Valerie Prater said an HR role would need to work closely with the clerk’s office to ensure that benefit changes and other personnel matters are correctly reflected in payroll.

Commissioners said they will gather more information about potential costs before making a decision.

• During the March 3 meeting, Jason Vanderfeltz of BFW Engineering introduced himself to the commission and discussed his firm’s engineering and grant-writing services.

Vanderfeltz, a Westphalia native and retired Missouri Department of Transportation engineer, said he has extensive experience with transportation design and project management, including several projects completed in Osage County.

BFW Engineering, he said, is based in Kentucky with offices in Jefferson City and other Missouri locations, and offers services including roadway engineering, bridge design, environmental studies, geotechnical work and grant writing.

Vanderfeltz said grant-writing assistance is typically handled in-house and often involves minimal upfront cost, as engineering firms generally expect to be compensated through project work if a grant is awarded.

Commissioners noted that additional bridge projects may be coming in future years but said eligibility for some programs remains uncertain while awaiting guidance from the state.

ROAD & BRIDGE

Osage County Road & Bridge Foreman Brad Sneller discussed current conditions on county roads as winter thaw and recent rainfall created difficult maintenance conditions.

Officials said recent rainfall totaled more than an inch in some areas, leaving gravel roads soft and muddy. They noted that late winter and early spring are typically the most difficult times for maintaining gravel roads because thawing ground and rainfall can quickly damage road surfaces.

• Commissioners also discussed ongoing staffing challenges in certain areas of the county where dedicated full-time grader operators are not currently assigned. Officials said the situation has affected maintenance in some parts of the county.

The commission briefly discussed whether subcontracting some grading work might be feasible, but noted that hiring private contractors could be costly.

Commissioners also acknowledged the help of local residents and farmers who sometimes assist with road maintenance using their own equipment.

• The commission reviewed drainage problems on CR 303, where a failing or poorly placed culvert has caused water to run across the roadway and damage the surface.

Officials said water bypassing the culvert has created grooves across the road and could eventually cause more serious damage if the issue is not addressed.

Commissioners discussed possible solutions, including replacing the culvert and reworking the roadway and ditch line. They also discussed whether the property owner or the county would be responsible for the cost of replacing the culvert.

Sneller said he will review the area further before moving forward with repairs.

• Commissioners also discussed whether to repair a county plow truck that has been out of service due to engine failure.

Estimates for replacing the engine ranged from approximately $20,000 to $30,000. Officials noted that the rest of the truck is still in good condition, and repairing it could be significantly less expensive than replacing the vehicle.

• Creek rock was hauled on CR 602 (336T); quarry rock on CR 412 (204.07T), 622 (94.08T), 623 (208.26T), 624 (190.67T), & 638 (215.69T); potholes were filled on Old Hwy 50 in Loose Creek; a culvert was repaired on CR 612; brush mowers were working on CR 424, 425, 427, 431, & 435; and grader operators were active as follows: G02 (CR 731, 733, 734, 736, 742), G03 (501, 608, 609, 610, 611), G04 (622, 623, 624, 625, 303, 305, 308, 401, 403), & G06 (235, 263, 271).

• Whipper Tractor W41 (2006 John Deere 6615 w/Alamo Machete Mower) was serviced in house. Graders G02 (2014 772G John Deere) and G03 (2018 12M3 AWD, truck T51 (2018 International LT625), & trailer TRLR54 (2025 Dolittle) were serviced out of house.

• Contact was received from citizens regarding road conditions on CR 624, culvert installations on CR 737 & 613A, concerns about CR 310 & 524, and complaints about CR 602.

• Compliments were received about road work in Bland.

HEALTH DEPARTMENT

Commissioners also continued discussion of a proposed quick care clinic at the Osage County Health Department. Health Department Administrator Kim Sallin said the department is currently conducting a survey to gauge community interest in the service.

At the time of the meeting, Sallin said 214 people had responded to the survey in less than 24 hours, with only two negative comments. Several more responded while she was waiting to speak. Sallin said the survey will remain open through at least March 16 so State Tech students returning from spring break will also have an opportunity to participate before final results are presented to the commission.

911/Emergency Management

The commissioners spoke with Osage County 911/EMA Director Ron Hoffman by phone regarding work at the county’s recently acquired property along Highway 100. Hoffman said he had begun repairing the entrance gate and cable at the site, installing signage identifying the property as county-owned and posting the address. He also told commissioners he plans to straighten a leaning gate post and secure the entrance so the property can be properly locked and monitored.

FINANCIAL

• Bills totaling $198,435.34 were approved by commissioners, with the following totals by department: 911/EMA ($10,639.00), Assessor ($7,700.00), Building & Grounds ($3,185.60), Commission ($21.00), County Clerk ($2,277.35), Election ($13,934.97), Health Department ($1,569.28), Hwy 100 Lot ($34.00), Misc. ($80,822.03), Prosecuting Attorney ($890.00), Road & Bridge ($25,524.90), and Sheriff-Jail ($51,837.21).

• The end-of-month bank balances for February showed a total of $16,421,803.03, including AS23 - Assessment ($409,007.57), AX08 - Annex Building ($327,994.48), BG89 - Building & Grounds ($248,563.48), CC55 - Conceal Carry ($8,173.85), CI88 - Capitol Infrastructure ($1,483,088.31), DS61 - DSSSF Fund ($230), ES48 - Election Service ($21,170.08), FC46 - Family Court ($33,787.47), GR01 - General Revenue ($2,148,705.60), HD23 - Health Department ($297,917.52), IS63 - Inmate Security Fund ($21,892.49), JR60 - Jail Renovation ($2,627,097.63), LACTF - Local Assistance ($115,224.13), LE25 - Law Enforcement ($564.43), LERF - Law Enforcement Restitution ($4,136.73), LF38 - Civil Fees Fund ($2,893.38), OE22 - Emerg. Management ($62,261.47), OPIO - Opioid Settlement ($107,694.54), PA18 - Bad Check ($15,777.88), PA26 Prosecutor Training ($5,573.11), PB21 - Pentecostal Bridge ($1,555,463.41), RB02 - Road & Bridge ($1,326,351.31), RF36 - Retirement ($78.33), RF42 - Recorder’s Fund ($43,428.09), RR30 - Rollback Reserve ($948,986.12), SE19 - Special Elections - ($22,205), SF49 Law Enforcement-911 ($459,532.64), Operations ($13,175.69), SR25 Sheriff Retirement ($145), UT33 - Use Tax ($4,102,061.81), VD24 - Domestic Violence ($561.43), and HA56 - HAVA Elections ($8,060.05). Please note that not all of these funds are controlled by the county commissioners. Some are controlled by elected officials or committees.

The county also has $611,000.88 in CDs, including Road & Bridge ($117,126.05), Rollback Reserve ($466,076.71), and Law Enforcement-911 ($27,798.12).

• Checks were submitted for signatures.