During his State of the County speech on Monday, Jefferson County Executive Dennis Gannon said the county “accomplished much, but there’s still a lot to be done.”
About 256 people attended the State of the County event, held at Northwest High School in Cedar Hill and sponsored by the Jefferson County Growth Association (JCGA).
Gannon highlighted some of the county’s accomplishments in 2024, including developing a new county park called Kimmswick Landing; purchasing property for a container-on-vessel port in Herculaneum; improving infrastructure around the future home of the James Hardie manufacturing plant in Crystal City; and working to build a Jefferson County crime lab in Pevely, set to open later in the summer.
County Executive Dennis Gannon gives the State of the County address at Northwest High School.
He also encouraged residents to attend upcoming Master Plan open houses at the Jefferson County Administration Building, 729 Maple St., in Hillsboro. Open houses are set for 5-8 p.m. Wednesday, March 5, and 10 a.m. to noon Thursday, March 6.
The plan serves as the county government’s official guide for land use, economic development and natural areas for the next decade. The Jefferson County Council will vote on the new master plan at a future meeting following the open houses.
Gannon also said that while the county is in good financial standing with no long-term debt, there is not enough money in the budget for big-ticket wish list projects.
“I’ve been asked several times, ‘When are we going to build a new jail? When are we going to build a new courthouse? When will the county begin talking about an airport?’” Gannon said. “Each of these items is very expensive and requires additional funding – funding the County does not have at this time. Some people in the decision-making process say they support these projects, but they do not want any new taxes. That approach and attitude might be political, unfair and unreasonable and will sink any of these projects before they begin.
“It is easy to be against something; it takes leadership, collaboration and hard work to make projects like these happen.”
JCGA president Dan Govero gave an update on the association during the event, saying that the Jefferson County Tourism Commission received a $120,000 Missouri Division of Tourism match grant last year to promote tourism using billboards, radio and TV ads.
“It’s a great boon for us and I think a great boon for the county,” Govero said. “Tourism is bigger than you think, and we need to support that.”
Students in the Northwest High School Grow Your Own Teacher program created miniature blue and white lighthouse centerpieces that reflected the “beacon of hope” theme for the event.
Northwest Superintendent Jennifer Hecktor spoke about the school district’s plans to open an intervention services center in Cedar Hill next school year to “meet every child’s need and provide all students an accessible route to graduate.
The Northwest district also recently formed a partnership with Lafayette Industries to participate in the packaging company’s Step Up program, which is designed for students with disabilities to find and maintain employment.
“The lighthouse has become an important representation of our belief about what our roles are as educators, how children grow and learn, and how graduates can be when they walk across the stage in May,” Hecktor said.
Northwest High School senior Reagan Shelton and junior Cohen Giger, along with Murphy Elementary School fifth graders Hank McKelvey and Cam Juntti, emceed the event.
The Spirit of Northwest Jazz Ensemble provided musical entertainment while the high school’s cheer squad performed several routines.
Northwest High will again host next year’s State of the County event.