Polk County, MO elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities
Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Polk County: 14 seats on 12 elected bodies. 7 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.
County Commission
Polk County Commission
| Office | Who holds it now | Next term |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Commissioner, Northern District | Kyle Legan Republican source | |
| Associate Commissioner, Southern District | Bob Moreland Republican source | |
| Presiding Commissioner | Shannon Hancock Republican source | On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet |
County officers
| Office | Who holds it now | Next term |
|---|---|---|
| Assessor | Rita Lemmon Republican source | |
| Circuit Clerk | Tiffany Phillips Republican source | On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet |
| Collector of Revenue | Rachel Boyce Republican source | On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet |
| Coroner | Zane Gore Independent source | |
| County Clerk | Rachel Lightfoot Republican source | On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet |
| County Surveyor | Kevin Nelson Republican source | |
| Prosecuting Attorney | Keaton R. Ashlock Republican source | On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet |
| Public Administrator | Scott Pursselley Republican source | |
| Recorder of Deeds | Carol Poindexter Republican source | On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet |
| Sheriff | Danny Morrison Republican source | |
| Treasurer | Shirley Allison Republican source | On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet |
How many local governments Polk County has
The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 27 local governments in Polk County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.
| Kind of government | Census count (2022) | Listed on this page |
|---|---|---|
| County government | 1 | 1 |
| Cities, towns, villages and townships | 8 | 0 |
| School districts (school boards) | 6 | 0 |
| Special districts (elected boards) | 12 | 0 |
About these counts
The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments, though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.
Who lives in Polk County
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 3% · White 90.9% · Black 0.7% · Asian 0.8% · Other or more than one race 4.5% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)
About these figures
The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.
Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.
Jobs in Polk County
Every month, last two years
| Month | Rate | Unemployed | Employed | Labor force |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 (preliminary) | 3.1% | 468 | 14,673 | 15,141 |
| August 2026 | 4.0% | 612 | 14,514 | 15,126 |
| July 2026 | 4.0% | 617 | 14,674 | 15,291 |
| June 2026 | 3.9% | 589 | 14,482 | 15,071 |
| May 2026 | 3.7% | 547 | 14,390 | 14,937 |
| April 2026 | 3.5% | 533 | 14,748 | 15,281 |
| March 2026 | 4.2% | 639 | 14,513 | 15,152 |
| February 2026 | 4.1% | 624 | 14,562 | 15,186 |
| January 2026 | 4.3% | 645 | 14,333 | 14,978 |
| December 2025 | 3.2% | 473 | 14,467 | 14,940 |
| November 2025 | 3.3% | 483 | 14,353 | 14,836 |
| October 2025 | not collected (2025 federal shutdown) | |||
| September 2025 | 3.5% | 523 | 14,324 | 14,847 |
| August 2025 | 4.5% | 662 | 13,986 | 14,648 |
| July 2025 | 4.7% | 703 | 14,354 | 15,057 |
| June 2025 | 4.6% | 699 | 14,349 | 15,048 |
| May 2025 | 4.3% | 641 | 14,118 | 14,759 |
| April 2025 | 3.9% | 590 | 14,499 | 15,089 |
| March 2025 | 4.6% | 703 | 14,454 | 15,157 |
| February 2025 | 4.7% | 708 | 14,471 | 15,179 |
| January 2025 | 4.4% | 661 | 14,367 | 15,028 |
| December 2024 | 3.5% | 526 | 14,320 | 14,846 |
| November 2024 | 3.6% | 523 | 14,127 | 14,650 |
| October 2024 | 3.4% | 502 | 14,265 | 14,767 |
Yearly averages
| Year | Rate | Unemployed | Employed | Labor force |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 (11 months) | 4.2% | 622 | 14,340 | 14,962 |
| 2024 | 3.9% | 579 | 14,222 | 14,801 |
| 2023 | 3.2% | 467 | 14,132 | 14,599 |
| 2022 | 2.6% | 372 | 14,051 | 14,423 |
| 2021 | 3.4% | 475 | 13,690 | 14,165 |
| 2020 | 4.8% | 673 | 13,273 | 13,946 |
| 2019 | 3.4% | 484 | 13,607 | 14,091 |
| 2018 | 3.7% | 525 | 13,640 | 14,165 |
| 2017 | 4.0% | 561 | 13,447 | 14,008 |
| 2016 | 4.8% | 682 | 13,447 | 14,129 |
Crime reported in Polk County
Earlier years
| Year | Violent | Rate | Property | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 75 | 224.8 | 298 | 893.3 |
| 2017 | 95 | 303.3 | 810 | 2,586.0 |
| 2016 | 130 | 416.7 | 999 | 3,202.3 |
By police agency (6)
| Agency | Year | Violent | Property | People served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County Sheriff's Office | 2024 | 44 | 170 | 19,351 |
| Bolivar Police Department | 2025 | 16 | 200 | 11,743 |
| Humansville Police Department | 2021 | 1 | 5 | 1,072 |
| Pleasant Hope Police Department | 2025 | 7 | 1 | 697 |
| Fair Play Police Department | 2017 | 0 | 10 | 465 |
| Morrisville Police Department | 2025 | 0 | 0 | 401 |
Police staffing
Agencies counted (5), 2018
| Agency | Officers | Civilians | People served |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County Sheriff's Office | 23 | 14 | 18,754 |
| Bolivar Police Department | 21 | 6 | 10,966 |
| Pleasant Hope Police Department | 2 | 0 | 615 |
| Humansville Police Department | 1 | 0 | 1,048 |
| Fair Play Police Department | 1 | 0 | 476 |
Earlier years
| Year | Officers | Per 1,000 | Civilians | Agencies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 48 | 1.51 | 20 | 5 |
| 2016 | 41 | 1.31 | 19 | 5 |
Quick answers
- Who is the Polk County Assessor?
- Rita Lemmon (Republican) is the Assessor of Polk County, Missouri.
- Who is the Polk County Circuit Clerk?
- Tiffany Phillips (Republican) is the Circuit Clerk of Polk County, Missouri. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
- Who is the Polk County Collector of Revenue?
- Rachel Boyce (Republican) is the Collector of Revenue of Polk County, Missouri. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
- Who is the Polk County Coroner?
- Zane Gore (Independent) is the Coroner of Polk County, Missouri.
- Who is the Polk County County Clerk?
- Rachel Lightfoot (Republican) is the County Clerk of Polk County, Missouri. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
- Who is the Polk County County Surveyor?
- Kevin Nelson (Republican) is the County Surveyor of Polk County, Missouri.
- Who is the Polk County Prosecuting Attorney?
- Keaton R. Ashlock (Republican) is the Prosecuting Attorney of Polk County, Missouri. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
- Who is the Polk County Public Administrator?
- Scott Pursselley (Republican) is the Public Administrator of Polk County, Missouri.
- Who is the Polk County Recorder of Deeds?
- Carol Poindexter (Republican) is the Recorder of Deeds of Polk County, Missouri. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
- Who is the Polk County Sheriff?
- Danny Morrison (Republican) is the Sheriff of Polk County, Missouri.
- Who is the Polk County Treasurer?
- Shirley Allison (Republican) is the Treasurer of Polk County, Missouri. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
- Who are the Polk County commissioners?
- Kyle Legan (Associate Commissioner, Northern District); Bob Moreland (Associate Commissioner, Southern District); Shannon Hancock (Presiding Commissioner).
- What is the population of Polk County?
- About 32,444 people, with a median age of 38.1; the median household income is $59,647 and 16.3% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
- What is the unemployment rate in Polk County?
- 3.1% in September 2026 (preliminary): 468 people unemployed in a labor force of 15,141, against 3.5% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
- How many local governments are there in Polk County?
- 27 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 8 municipal, 6 school district and 12 special district governments.
Polk County's 2026 ballot and results · Every Missouri county · Missouri's members of Congress
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