About Public Notices

Public notices inform citizens of the everyday activities of government. From government spending to developing new policies, it is important for people to be informed of actions taken by public officials that affect citizens’ everyday lives. Public Notices are essential to a democracy and an informed citizenry. Without Public Notices, citizens cannot properly and adequately make informed decisions.

While the Internet is a great resource for information, public notices have been and remain most effective in newspapers. Newspapers are the watchdogs of their local communities and can most effectively monitor the actions of their respective local governments. This not only allows local residents to be informed but it also forces local public officials to be held accountable. Additionally, Notices in newspapers are permanent records that cannot be altered or deleted. They are also more accessible as anyone can have access to a newspaper as opposed to the internet.

Published public notices provide actual notice to the public about government actions like tax and fee increases, land use and environmental decisions, delinquent taxpayer notices that can lead to a government seizure and sale of someone's home and the expenditure of public funds. To be effective, public notices must have these attributes:

• Publication is in a forum independent of the government.

• The published notice is a preserved and secure tangible record that is archived.

• The notice is conveniently accessible by all segments of society.

• Publication is verifiable (by way of an affidavit of publication).

This website is designed to provide increased value to the public by providing a snapshot of public notices published throughout Missouri in a convenient and searchable format and at no cost to the taxpayer.