The History of Government in Lee’s Summit

The Lee’s Summit government has possessed a vision for both commerce and community from its beginning. It has worked to build a safe, beautiful, and thriving community through creativity and long-range planning. As the town grew into a city, the government stayed one step ahead, building infrastructure and annexing land to be ready for the growth. In 1915, Lee’s Summit began providing city water. By the mid-1920s, the entire city was connected to a sanitary sewer system. The government has also been involved in the business growth of Lee’s Summit. For example, in 1957, Mayor Charles Oldham negotiated the deal to bring in a $20 million Western Electric plant. In order for the deal to go through, he accomplished the annexing and rezoning of its 250-acre building site (see Business History section). Today, the government is involved in the Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council (LSEDC). The LSEDC is a public- private sector partnership with the purpose of attracting and keeping business in the area. Lee’s Summit encompasses approximately 64 square miles, making it the third largest city land mass in Missouri, with only half of it being developed.

The Mayor is recognized as the leader of the city for all legal and ceremonial purposes. An elected official to a four-year term, he or she works closely with the City Council to govern the city, presiding over City Council meetings, carrying out ordinances, resolutions, proclamations, grants, and executive orders. The Mayor has veto power over the City Council unless there is a tie, in which case the mayor casts the deciding vote. The City Council is made up of eight members, also elected to four-year terms. Lee’s Summit has four city districts, each electing two representatives to the council. Members’ terms are staggered so that some council positions are voted on during each regular municipal election. The City Administrator’s office also works with the Mayor and City Council, performing duties such as making recommendations to solve city problems, and leading and implementing goals and priorities set by the Mayor and City Council. Various other boards and committees oversee numerous functions of the government, ranging from planning and zoning, to low-income housing, to water and public works. Lee’s Summit also has a Municipal Court, which serves the city in a judicial capacity. Two judges serve on the Municipal Court, each originally appointed to their positions, and then retained through local elections. The majority of citizens first experience the judicial system through Municipal Court. Established for the purpose of local self-government, Municipal Court guarantees the same protection of "due process of law" that is granted by any other trial court. The single offense maximum fine and sentence in Municipal Court is $500 and 90 days in jail. Appeals to convictions given by the Municipal Court are made to the Circuit Court.

Throughout its existence, the Lee’s Summit government has put much effort into planning and developing Lee’s Summit as a beautiful city, building and maintaining parks and lakes for the pleasure, leisure and activity of its citizens and visitors. By the mid-1920s, Lee’s Summit was described as "The Prettiest Town in Jackson County."1 Today, Lee’s Summit has more than twenty-five parks dispersed throughout the city, including numerous smaller parks, and the 700-acre Legacy Park. Its residential lakes include Lake Lee’s Summit, Raintree Lake, and Cole Younger Lake. There are also four recreational lakes and surrounding parks that are at least partly within the Lee’s Summit city limits: Lake Jacomo and Blue Springs Lake surrounded by Fleming Park, Prairie Lee Lake with South Prairie Lee Park to its south, and Longview Lake surrounded by Longview Lake Park.

Lee’s Summit is also proud to be considered a very safe community. In Morgan Quitno Press’s most recent results on America’s cities, Lee’s Summit ranked among the top 25 safest cities in the nation.2 It is home to the Lee’s Summit Police Department, Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop A, and the Jackson County Sheriff’s office. Lee’s Summit also has a fire department with six fire stations. The fire department responds to fires, emergency medical and rescue incidents, and hazardous materials situations. In addition, it runs a regional communications center to handle fire and emergency services for the city, as well as contracting out communication services for several of the smaller surrounding communities. The fire department’s efforts in emergency services have gained recognition; it has received the Operation Life Safety Award for the last ten years. This honor was most recently awarded for the department’s prevention program, as well as for having no fire fatalities in the last year.

Throughout its history, the Lee’s Summit government and community have placed an emphasis on education. By investing in the education of its children, the city has established a legacy of achievement and success. In 1949, sixteen rural elementary schools combined to form the Lee’s Summit Reorganized School District No. 7. At that time, the R-7 School District had approximately 1,200 students. After the reorganizing of the school district, Lee’s Summit began to experience rapid growth and development, which continue today. As one of Missouri’s fastest growing school districts, the R-7 School District has gained almost 500 new students annually for the past 15 years. The citizens of Lee’s Summit have consistently voted to pass bond issues year after year, which has allowed the R-7 School District to keep up with the needs of its growing number of students. Today, the district covers 117 square miles and serves over 16,000 students. It includes sixteen elementary schools (K-6th grade), three middle schools (7th-8th grade), three high schools (9th-12th grade), Summit Ridge Academy (7th-12th grade), and Summit Technology Academy. It employs a total staff of over 2,300, and 77% of all certified staff members have at least a Master’s degree.3

The R-7 School District is committed to the encouragement of life-long learning in all areas. As its vision statement affirms, it is "uniquely committed to the academic, physical, emotional and social well-being of ALL students."4 One of the ways the school district is pursuing this vision is through the Community of Character program. The district is working with the City of Lee’s Summit and Lee’s Summit Cares to teach this character-building program. Each month a different character trait is emphasized, with the goal that the entire community would focus on the growth of that trait in their own lives.

The district has received national recognition for its academic achievements. Among the awards it has received in the 2004-2005 school year are the national "What Parents Want" Award, given by SchoolMatch, and the Gold Medal Award from Expansion Management Magazine. SchoolMatch is an independent nationwide school selection service that was utilized by more than 7 million parents just in the last year. The Lee’s Summit R-7 School District has received this award for 14 straight years. Expansion Management Magazine awards just the top 15% of school districts the Gold Medal. In addition to these and other accolades, R-7 School District students consistently score above the state and national averages on standardized testing. Continuing education is encouraged, as approximately 85% of high school graduates attend college.5 The R-7 School District also offers special education services for a wide variety of mental and physical disabilities and impairments.

Extracurricular activities in the Lee’s Summit R-7 School District have also sought and achieved excellence. For example, its high school band, orchestra and choir programs have been recognized among the best in America, and at times, in the world since the 1980s. In 1984, the orchestra took 3rd Best High School Orchestra in the world competition in Budapest, Hungary. They have also performed numerous times by request at Carnegie Hall in New York City and in the Chicago Honor Group Performance, where only the best in America are asked to perform.

Lee’s Summit is also home to the Lee’s Summit Community Christian School (LSCCS), a nondenominational school serving over 700 students from more than 100 churches, preschool through 12th grade. LSCCS is committed to strong academics with a biblical foundation, and learning and development in every area. School Administrator, Linda Harrelson, states, "It is our desire to work together with both the parents and the church to prepare students spiritually, morally, socially, and academically so that they will grow in grace and the knowledge of God and affect their world for Christ."6 The growth and maturation of the individual student is a high priority. Class sizes are kept small to encourage development of each student’s talents and abilites. All of LSCCS’s teachers are professing Christians with a bachelor’s or post-graduate degree. To help families with students who struggle with certain aspects of learning, LSCCS makes available an educational therapy program from the National Institute for Learning Disabilities. LSCCS is a fully accredited school, with accreditations from the North Central Association and the Association of Christian School International.

Lee’s Summit has one college, Longview Community College. In 1968 the daughters of R. A. Long, Loula and Sallie, donated 146 acres for the purpose of building a college. Work on the college began quickly, and by 1969 Longview Community College opened with nine temporary buildings. Four years later the first permanent building was completed. Today, students have four classroom buildings, Campus Center, Learning Resources, and a Recreation Center. Longview serves 6,000 full- and part-time students every semester. In 2001, TIME Magazine/The Princeton Review honored Longview as one of four colleges named "College of the Year" in its The Best College for You guide. Longview was honored for its writing program, which emphasizes communication through writing in as many subjects as possible, and became the first community college to earn this honor. Longview has also earned recognition for its ABLE program, which works with students having learning disabilities and brain injuries.

Lee’s Summit government has worked to build a thriving community. Through its planning and building, as well as its partnership with the private sector, the government has helped to create a healthy and safe city. CNNMoney has recently recognized Lee’s Summit as one of the top 100 Best Places To Live 2005. Listed at number 77, Lee’s Summit was chosen based on various categories, such as household finances, housing, education, air pollution and safety, leisure and culture, and weather. This national recognition is just another indication of the standard of excellence that the Lee’s Summit government strives toward and has achieved.

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Prayer for the Government of Lee's Summit

1 "Lees Summit: Aptly Termed ‘The Prettiest Town in Jackson County.’" Book Title, Date Published, p. 267.
2 www.morganquitno.com/cit05pop.htm
3 www.leesummit.k12.mo.us/district_info.htm
4 www.leesummit.k12.mo.us
5 www.leesummit.k12.mo.us/academic_achievements.htm
6 www.lsccs.org