Platte County Treasurer Chris Kendall says he wants to finish rebuilding an office he inherited with significant operational problems, while challenger Krysten Jury says taxpayers need clearer reporting, documented procedures and consistent follow-through on financial responsibilities.
Voters will choose Nov. 3 between Kendall, an independent appointed to the office in March 2025, and Jury, the Republican nominee.
Kendall points to nearly four decades of financial experience and improvements he says are nearing completion. Jury proposes additional safeguards and more accessible reporting so taxpayers can identify problems before they grow.
Restoring the office
Kendall took office after being appointed by the governor and describes the assignment as a substantial rebuilding effort.
“I told the commission when I was interviewed that this would be a two-year rescue mission and we are 19 months into it and 95% complete,” Kendall said.
When he arrived, Kendall explained, the office lacked basic resources and information needed for a transition.
“No notes, no calendar, no contacts, no phone list — not even a desk or chair,” he said. “I literally had to get the facilities department to bring me a folding table so I could work.”
Kendall said revenue receipting was weeks behind, vendors were not getting paid and reports were not being sent. His first priority was restoring essential daily operations.
From there, he said, the work expanded to rebuilding financial procedures, strengthening internal controls, improving records and reviewing investment practices.
Jury acknowledged the office’s progress in catching up on overdue bank reconciliations.
“Credit where it is owed,” Jury said. “Since January 2026 the office has been working the bank reconciliations back into current shape after a long gap.”
She said the chief deputy handling that work deserves recognition.
“That is tedious, invisible catch-up work, and the chief deputy who started it deserves to be recognized for it rather than blamed for the backlog he inherited,” she said.
Jury also said new accounting software should speed the monthly closing process once fully in use.
Kendall said troubleshooting the software’s reconciliation module has complicated the catch-up effort. Staff, other county personnel and the vendor have worked to resolve how the county’s banking structure interacts with the system, he said.
He distinguishes daily account balancing from monthly reconciliations, saying staff balance accounts daily while working through the reporting backlog.
His goal is to complete the remaining work by year’s end.
“I understand the importance of the audit findings, and I take them seriously,” Kendall said.
Education and preparation
Kendall says his qualifications combine formal education, financial experience and firsthand knowledge of the office.
He has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and a master’s degree in ministry from Colorado Theological Seminary. He also reported training through the Graduate School of Banking in Madison, Wisconsin, and an investment program in Pomona, California.
His work history includes serving as chief accountant for the Westin Hotel Company and controller for the American International Charolais Association, along with work in community banking and consulting. He said he previously managed investment portfolios ranging from $20 million to $50 million.
“What makes me the best person for this job is the combination of education, practical knowledge of the office and a commitment to independent, accountable public service,” he said.
Kendall pointed to a statement in Jury’s campaign materials that “the county’s money should be handled by someone who has already done the work.”
“I couldn’t have said it better myself,” he said.
Jury acknowledged their different educational backgrounds.
“My opponent has more formal education than I do, and I am not going to pretend otherwise,” she said. “Voters can weigh that however they want to.”
Jury said she left college in her early 20s to receive treatment for a rare cancer and entered the workforce after returning home.
If elected, she intends to complete training offered by the Missouri County Treasurers Association during her first year, “rather than learning the statutory side of this job by trial and error.”
Safeguards and procedures
Jury wants written instructions for every recurring task and at least two personnel trained to perform each one, reducing the risk that an employee’s departure interrupts essential work.
Her proposed safeguards include having different people prepare and approve bank reconciliations, then providing approved reconciliations to the auditor’s office for comparison with the general ledger.
She also supports daily deposits, tracking receipts in sequence and using bank fraud prevention tools, including systems that screen checks and restrict unauthorized account debits.
Jury would review pledged collateral monthly to ensure public deposits remain protected as account balances and collateral values change.
Kendall said his work has focused on establishing consistent procedures, reliable records and lasting internal controls. Cooperation with other offices and independent auditors is also essential, he said.
“Ultimately, these are taxpayer dollars and I believe they should be treated with the same care and diligence I would expect if they were my own,” Kendall said.
Investments and public reporting
Kendall said his approach to investing county funds prioritizes preserving principal, maintaining enough cash to meet county obligations and earning a reasonable return. He monitors investment maturities and anticipated cash needs while weighing interest-rate risk and seeking competitive returns within Missouri law and county policy.
Jury said her priorities would be “legality, safety, liquidity, yield. Never reordered.” She would match investment maturities to the county’s cash needs so money is available for expenses while funds not immediately needed continue earning interest. That approach, she said, would help avoid selling investments early at a loss to cover obligations.
Jury also would seek a publicly adopted investment policy specifying diversification and maturity limits. She said investment decisions should follow written standards rather than depend on the treasurer’s judgment on any given day.
Asked how much investment earnings reflect his decisions versus market conditions, Kendall said assigning a reliable dollar amount or percentage to either factor is impossible. Interest rates affect available returns, he said, but management decisions determine whether available funds are invested appropriately rather than sitting idle.
Kendall said an updated investment policy adopted in April established quarterly investment reports submitted to county commissioners for review and comment. Those reports are available on the treasurer’s page of the county website.
“My goal is to make this information accessible and understandable without requiring taxpayers to interpret complicated financial statements,” he said.
Jury proposes monthly reporting showing fund balances, deposits, investments, maturity dates, rates and interest earnings. She also wants each report to identify the month through which accounts have been reconciled, giving taxpayers a quick way to recognize delays.
She wants the information posted on the county website in an easily readable format rather than available only within commission minutes.
“None of this is confidential information,” Jury said. “It is a report on other people’s money, and the people it belongs to should not have to file a request to see it.”
Outstanding checks
Asked about concerns raised by county auditor candidate Laura Waldon regarding approximately $400,000 in uncashed county checks, Kendall said outstanding balances fluctuate as payments are issued and clear.
As of Oct. 22, outstanding items totaled $351,028, he said. Counting only items issued through Aug. 31 reduced that amount to $58,779.57, allowing time for September and October payments to clear.
An outstanding balance does not necessarily indicate a problem, Kendall said, because large checks may take time to reach recipients and be processed.
He said the current outstanding checks cover 2024 through 2026.
Jury proposes reviewing outstanding checks monthly and contacting payees about items older than 90 days. After six months, she would stop payment and either reissue the check or void it back to the appropriate fund.
“Stale checks are not housekeeping,” Jury said. “A long list of them is usually the first visible symptom of a reconciliation nobody is working.”
Approach to service
Kendall said outreach to cities, schools, road districts and other taxing entities helps his office understand their needs and manage funds effectively.
A former Village of Farley trustee and Farley Special Road District commissioner, he said those roles gave him insight into local governments’ financial pressures.
Running independently, Kendall said, allows him to focus on financial responsibilities without party influence.
Jury said voters should judge her by the office’s performance and her willingness to explain its finances.
“This office does not need somebody who can describe a bank reconciliation,” she said. “It needs somebody who will do them, on time and tell you the truth about what they show. If I am elected, I will be judged on whether the accounts are current and whether I was straight with you about the numbers. That is a fair test, and I am comfortable being measured by it.”
