Welcome to the Boone County Public Administrator's Site

A county wide elected office with a four-year term, the Public Administrator's position is held by Sonja Boone. Ms. Boone has been the Public Administrator since January 1, 2017.

The Public Administrator is an elected official who is assigned custodial and administrative responsibility for the estates of deceased persons and the persons and estates of minors and incapacitated or disabled persons when there is no legal guardian or conservator or when no one competent to assume such duties is known or can be found. When ordered by the Court to assume such duties, the Public Administrator provides for the proper care of the person and protects the assets of an estate against injury, waste, theft, or loss.

Functions

Public Administrators are appointed by the Missouri Circuit Court, Probate Division, to serve primarily three types of cases:

• Guardian and/or conservator for mentally disabled persons;
• Personal representative of deceased estates; and
• Conservator of minor estates. However, a majority of appointments are as guardians/conservator for mentally disabled persons.

Mission

To improve the quality of life for those under the guardianship of the Public Administrator, and protecting the ward's autonomy and self-respect at all times. The ward shall be encouraged to participate in decision-making. The Public Administrator and her employees shall use informed consent when making decisions on behalf of the ward. Employees under the Public Administrator shall follow the National Guardianship Association's Code of Ethics and exercise the highest degree of trust and loyalty when making decisions for the ward/client.

Caseload

Boone County's Public Administrator's Office presently carries an open caseload of around 437. Clients reside in Boone County or, for various reasons, other areas of the State and in several other states, as well. Note: This is because some facilities may be better equipped to administer to clients with special needs and it is important to try and locate clients near family. Of the 400 plus clients under guardian and/or conservatorship, approximately 87% have been diagnosed with a mental illness.

Click the image above to view the full-size caseload graphic.

Caseload

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The Public Administrator has over 414 clients, approximately 166 male and 136 female, and receives an average of one new client per week.

Of these clients, 78% are mentally ill and 22% are under conservatorship. Many of the people we serve as conservator have been assigned to us because of a variety of mental health issues.

The percentage of client diagnoses are as follows:

• 33% - Schizophrenia
• 20% - Cognitive disability listed in the statutes as "mentally retarded"
• 16% - Bipolar
• 6% - Depression
• 6% - Drug and/or alcohol abuse
• 6% - Personality disorder
• 6% - Personality disorder
• 4% - Psychotic
• 3% - Autism/Asperger's/Tourette's

40% of clients have more than one diagnosis. 5% have three or more diagnoses.

18% have a wide variety of other mental health and health-related diagnoses.

Staff

The staff includes one Chief Deputy and three Deputy Public Administrators. These employees are deputized by the probate court at the request of the Public Administrator to perform such duties in her place as outlined in each individual deputy's certified appointment documents. This is especially important since the Public Administrator or one of her deputies must be on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The remaining employees perform various accounting, clerical, reception, and maintenance duties.

Bonding

When an estate contains $25,000 or more of *unrestricted assets, an individual estate surety bond is purchased out of the estate's checking account. The volume of estates under the $25,000 threshold requires Boone County's Public Administrator, to post a public official bond in the amount of $500,000. The Missouri Statues give the Probate Court the authority to set the bond of the Public Administrator.

*Unrestricted asset - assets/​resources which are not restricted for use by legal or contractual requirements and may be used for any purpose

Please note: People that are "wards" of the court are also referred to as protectees and clients.
Special thanks to Carolyn Vienhage, retired Public Administrator for Green County, for her contribution of information.