Crow Reenters Collector's Race

With 60 pages of signatures in hand, Janet Crow filed to run for Howell County Collector as an Independent on Friday morning.

Crow originally sought to run as a Republican against Mark Collins in the August primary, but Collins filed a lawsuit seeking to remove her from the ballot, citing both her tardy time of filing and the absence of the surety affidavit required for County Collector candidates. 

"Someone that was not a certified candidate should not be on the Republican ballot," Collins told Howell County News in a May 22 interview.

Judge Steven Lynxwiler denied a motion to dismiss the suit in early May. A few days later, Crow withdrew as a Republican candidate and announced her intention to file as an Independent. Collins dismissed the suit on May 17.

To appear on the ballot as an Independent, Crow needed signatures from 253 registered voters in Howell County before July 28. Missouri election law requires Independents to collect 2% of the total number of voters who voted at the last election for candidates for the office being sought, according to information from the Missouri Secretary of State. Election records from the Howell County Clerk show that 12,605 voters cast ballots for the Collector of Revenue on November 6, 2018.

As the election authority in Howell County, Clerk Kelly Waggoner accepted Crow's Declaration of Candidacy "conditionally." The News obtained Crow's new filing documents, which are dated June 24, 2022, and are accompanied by a notarized affidavit of bondability from Western Surety Company.

"To be unconditional, the petition has to be processed and found to have enough valid signatures," Waggoner said in an interview June 24. 

Waggoner confirmed that Crow submitted 60 pages of signatures at the time of filing, which Crow alleges contain "close to 800 signatures."

"We, the Citizens for Janet Crow, collected close to 800 signatures in a month's time from West Plains to Willow Springs to Mtn View and all of Howell County," Crow said.

If the County Clerk verifies the declaration, Crow will appear on the general election ballot in November.

An active member of the Republican party in Howell County, Crow told Howell County News she is "disappointed" not to be on the Republican ballot in August.

"I feel the Office of Collector should be a non-partisan position that does what is best for all Howell Countians," she continued. 

The County Collector is responsible for the collection of personal and real estate taxes for the various political subdivisions and taxing entities of Howell County. The collector also collects merchant license fees, railroad taxes, and utility taxes. This office collects the taxes due, as shown on the county's tax records, and distributes the funds monthly to the various taxing entities.

For thorough background coverage of this story, including the details of Collins v. Crow et al, visit www.howellcountynews.com. Back issues of relevant editions may also be obtained from the news office by calling 417-252-2123.