The county seat is Palmyra, not Hannibal, which catches out a lot of people who need the recorder or the assessor. Marion County is unusual in keeping two courthouses: the main one at 100 S. Main St. in Palmyra, and a second at 906 Broadway in Hannibal that descends from an 1844 Court of Common Pleas. Which one you need depends on the office and, for court matters, on your township.
County Commission
The commission meets every Monday at 9:30 a.m. at the Palmyra courthouse.
| Seat | Commissioner |
|---|---|
| Presiding Commissioner | David Lomax |
| Eastern District | Larry Welch |
| Western District | Lacey Miller |
Agendas and minutes are posted, but the page holding them is not linked from the county’s own navigation, and it runs behind: as of this writing the newest agenda is Aug. 10 and the newest minutes July 13.
Elected officials
| Office | Name | Phone | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| County Clerk | Marla Meyers | 573-769-2549 | Palmyra, Suite 107 |
| Recorder of Deeds | Harla Friesz | 573-769-7001 | Palmyra |
| Assessor | Mark Novak | 573-248-1515 real estate · 573-221-0589 personal property | Hannibal, 906 Broadway |
| Collector of Revenue | Donna Goodin | 573-221-0727 Hannibal · 573-769-3282 Palmyra | Both courthouses |
| Treasurer | Joelle Fohey | 573-769-2552 | Palmyra, Suite 104 |
| Prosecuting Attorney | Luke Bryant | 573-221-0146 | Hannibal, 906 Broadway |
| Sheriff | Jimmy Shinn | 573-769-2077 · 573-221-6400 | 1703 Marion City Rd., Palmyra |
| Coroner | Richard Jones | 573-406-4407 | Palmyra |
| Public Administrator | Wendy W. Howe | 573-221-9149 | Hannibal, 906 Broadway, Room 104 |
| Circuit Clerk, District 1 | Cheryl Damron | 573-769-2550 | Palmyra, Suite 207 |
| Circuit Clerk, District 2 | Christine Tate | 573-221-0198 · probate 573-221-0288 | Hannibal, 906 Broadway, Room 105 |
| Surveyor | Jason Janes | 844-769-7020 | 222 S. Main St., Palmyra |
Most county email addresses follow the county’s own published format and are listed on each department’s page. The county has no auditor; its department directory lists 17 offices and that is not among them, which is normal for a third-class county.
One thing to know before you look elsewhere: the state courts directory still lists the two previous circuit clerks. The county’s own pages, and District 1’s official court email address, both point to Damron and Tate as the current clerks.
Courts
Marion County sits in Missouri’s 10th Judicial Circuit with Monroe and Ralls counties. The circuit judge is Rachel Bringer Shepherd (573-221-0579) and the associate circuit judge is John J. Jackson (573-221-0207 in Hannibal, 573-769-2318 in Palmyra).
Which courthouse handles your case depends on township. District 1, in Palmyra, covers Round Grove, Union, Warren, Fabius, Liberty and South River townships. District 2, in Hannibal, covers Miller and Mason townships — and since Hannibal sits in Mason Township, most Hannibal matters are District 2.
Health department
The Marion County Health Department has one office, at 3105 Palmyra Road in Hannibal — a Hannibal street name, not the city of Palmyra, which trips people up. Administrator Craig Parsons. 573-221-1166. Open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Emergency dispatch
NECOMM, the Northeast Missouri Emergency Communications Center in Hannibal, handles dispatch for numerous agencies. Its website currently shows only a construction placeholder, with no published director or contact. For emergencies call 911.
Before the November election
Elections run through the County Clerk’s office in Palmyra, 573-769-2549. Check your polling place before you go: the county’s published list currently has no polling place shown for Hannibal’s 4th Ward.