Lawrence County, Missouri

County news

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Assessment sheets should be turned in now

 

If you were a resident of, a property owner in, or operated a business in Lawrence County, Mo., as of Jan. 1, you should fill out a personal property assessment list and return it to the Lawrence County Assessor's Office in the Historic Courthouse by March 1. Failure to return your assessment list will result in a penalty.

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For assistance, call 417-466-2831 or visit the assessor's office in the lower floor of the Historic Courthouse, 1 Courthouse Square, Mt. Vernon. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays.

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Absentee ballots available for April 7 election

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April 7, 2026 General Municipal Election Information - Absentee ballots for the April General Municipal Election are now available. Anyone who is unable to vote on election day may vote in person or by mail.

 

Missouri law requires that written requests for absentee ballots must be received by 5:00 p.m. on the Second Wednesday prior to Election Day (March 25th) if the ballot is to be mailed. Forms are available at lawrencecountymo.org

 

Requests for applications by guardians or relatives within the second degree by consanguinity must be made in person at the County Clerk’s office.

 

In Person No Excuse Absentee voting will begin March 24th at the County Clerk’s office in Mt Vernon, MO

 

The County Clerk's office is open Monday through Friday 8 am to 4pm for absentee voting; and Saturday, April 4, from 9am to 1pm.

 

The deadline for absentee voting in person in the office of the Election Authority is 5:00 p.m. on the day before the election (April 6th)

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Public hearing on 2026 budget set Jan. 22

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A public hearing on a proposed county budget for 2026 will be held at 9 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 22, in the second floor courtroom of the Historic Courthouse. 

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Center Creek bridge on Lawrence 1030 closed

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(Lawrence County Commission, April 21, 2025) A Lawrence County bridge over Center Creek on Lawrence 1030 has been closed and won’t reopen until repairs - or replacement - can be completed.

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Western County Commissioner Chris Prater said the action followed a state inspection in which the bridge, #3980005, was issued a Critical Inspection Finding due to severe undermining of the abutments and other concerns.

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“In the interest of public safety, the bridge should be closed as soon as possible,” the notice from MoDOT said.

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Prater said signs closing the bridge were posted April 21, and barricades would be in place this week.

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The Lawrence County Commission visited the site Monday to see the condition firsthand. Weekend flooding appeared to have exacerbated the situation, Prater said.

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The bridge is located in the western part of the county in Common II Road District.​

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Health dept. services now located on Missouri Drive

 

(March 10, 2025) Lawrence County Health Dept. is now open in its new quarters at 1549 Missouri Drive in Mt. Vernon. Its first day of business there was March 4. Open house and ribbon-cutting were held March 10.

 

The facility was constructed south of I-44, just south of the Lawrence County Law Enforcement Center and 911. You can reach it via the south outer road.

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County adopts updated health ordinances

 

(Nov. 27, 2024) Lawrence County Commission has adopted updated health ordinances. pertaining to wastewater treatment systems and food establishments..

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Sign up for free property fraud notifications

 

(Sept. 25, 2024) Concerned about title theft? Lawrence County Recorder of Deeds Denise Massie invites people to sign up for a free notification if a deed is recorded in your name. Click here and follow the prompts.

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A recent "On Your Side" episode featured another way people are trying to make money off services that are already provided in the local recorder's office.

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Notice of Use Tax

 

(Lawrence County Clerk Tammy Riebe, Sept. 20, 2021) Lawrence County, Missouri previously adopted a use tax, which is currently in effect. A use tax is the equivalent of a sales tax on purchases made from out-of-state vendors by in-state buyers and on certain taxable business transactions. The use tax rate for Lawrence County is currently 2.125 percent which is equal to the total local sales tax rate. Certain purchases from out-of-state vendors will become subject to an expansion of the use tax effective on January 1, 2023, as provided by state law.

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If any local sales tax is repealed or the rate is reduced or raised by voter approval, the local use tax rate shall also be deemed to be repealed, reduced, or raised by the same action.

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I, Tammy Riebe, County Clerk for Lawrence County, Missouri, do hereby certify that the foregoing is, to the best of my knowledge and belief, correct. Dated this 3rd day of September 2021.

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Census Bureau puts county's population at 38,001

 

The U.S. Census Bureau puts Lawrence County's 2020 population at 38,001, slightly below the 2010 figure of 38,634. However, another indicator suggests more people are living in Lawrence County than did in 2010. There has been a 1.4 percent increase in individual and household personal property assessment lists returned to the county assessor in the same time period.

 

The Census Bureau ranks Lawrence County as 31st in population in Missouri's listing of 114 counties and the City of St. Louis.

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Lawrence County experienced population drops in 1910, 1920, 1930, 1950 and 1960; but it recorded steady growth from 1960 through 2010.

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