An eager Lake County reader reports that the Madison City Commission last night swerved to avoid crashing into campaign finance law. As I reported yesterday, the Madison City Commission was taking up a resolution declaring its support for Lake County’s proposed $2.8-million property tax increase and urging voters to vote Yes on the September 19 referendum vote that would authorize that opt-out. Likely realizing that such advocacy would violate SDCL 12-27-30‘s prohibition on expending public resources to advocate for ballot questions, the Madison City Commission last night apparently substituted this more compliant and neutral language for its resolution:
Therefore, be it resolved that the City Commission of the City of Madison encourages its citizens to learn about both sides of the opt-out election in order to make an educated vote on the issue.
This milquetoasty both-sidesist exhortation to educated voting does not congrue with the Whereases of the resolution, all of which are planks in an argument for the property tax increase—Lake County employs 71 people, provides necessary public services mostly required by law, and faces ongoing deficits and dwindling reserves, has already made budget cuts. The Whereases don’t indicate that the city commission itself is considering both sides of the opt-out; the resolution doesn’t suggest that the county could afford to make further cuts or that citizens could volunteer to shovel snow from county roads or that Madison will donate 10% of its municipal sales tax revenue to Lake County.
With this revised resolution, the Madison City Commission is still saying, Vote for the county opt-out. They’re just saying it under their breath, under cover of language that technically complies with the campaign finance law that allows public entities to “present[…] factual information solely for the purpose of educating the voters on a ballot question.”
But it’s nice to know that commissioners back in my home town are still reading Dakota Free Press to keep themselves out of trouble.
When municipalities and counties become so broke, I wonder if there is any abuse of the courts going on to help drain resources. I see that happening on larger scales with especially affluent folks arbitrarily in and out of the courtroom like it is their own personal tool to get what they want. I wonder what Governor Noem’s overall cost would add up to for all her meaningless lawsuits filed over fireworks, or someone like Donald Trump, who tends to average in the thousands of cases jamming up the courts at one time, just in order not to pay his bills.
Court abuse may not be a factor for Madison, but far too often, they are taken advantage of like clerks and bailiffs and judges work for free, while on beckon call.
I think people of Madison are smart enough to figure out what’s going on here. This is one of the highest cost of living in the state with property taxes, electric increases, water/sew increases. Stop and figure out what extra things the city is actually paying for to get businesses here in this town. The Madison people are not getting breaks on any of these and Industrial area is getting big breaks for years with them. Citizens are paying for them.
This is a family community town. Retirees move to town as do others. No breaks for them. Things that are done with no knowledge to actually say what is being decided for all of us. Some things are needed that are being done and supported by us. Police, etc. That’s fine. But- when the money
isn’t there for certain things that could actually be NOT done at this time are still continuing and it isn’t working. The cost doesn’t measure to the income of the families. It extends family costs to the point we can’t continue to keep increasing. A town like Madison should run like a family with a limit. If I don’t have the money – I don’t go and expend and purchase things I can’t afford. People who donate – donate – donate have the money – that’s great.
Let’s sit back and take a breather and do necessities that is for everyone. I agree the Industrial area is great but there has to be limits. I know none of you will comment back but this is your future and it’s being put in deep debt with only us to dig it out with expenditures. A change needs to be made.
There will be more counties especially those with a small land area or population running into the same financial issues soon. It’s time for the taxpayers to ask… Why does South Dakota still have 66 counties? School districts have been forced to consolidate over the past 134 years. Why not counties? It’s looks to me like a logical consolidation there would be Miner, Lake, Moody, Kingsbury and Brookings. You’d get one big nice square county out of it with enough land area and population to make it more efficient. It would have a land area just slightly larger then Pennington and Perkins and less then Meade. Start with that and focus on forming new counties around 2,000-3,000 square miles. If we go by an average county land area of 2,500 square miles South Dakota needs about 30 county governments.
Mr. BHSD76 is righter than right. 33 counties would be plenty. South Dakota also has too many school districts, with high paid fatcat administrators who continue to pad their wallets instead of distributing the money to the highest levels of the SILT. It would be better to cut up new counties, named for the territorial governors and commissioners, into a honeycomb hexagon pattern. The counties along the outside straight borders would get to absorb the little nubbins against the edge, but the people who reside there would not get to vote in the county elections.
I agree with grudznick that we also still have too many school districts. Once we form around 30 counties we should then form 1 or 2 school districts per county. Lower population counties could have 1 county wide district with attendance centers placed strategically depending on population centers and efficient busing routes. In counties where there is a large population center like Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Aberdeen, etc. there could be 2 districts. One urban and one rural. In the end, you’d have 30 county governments with maybe around 50 +/- school districts. In 2023 that would work and be far more efficient. More money could go to programming for students and we could improve teacher pay. Too much waste is created by hiring administrators for 148 school districts and county officials to run 66 counties. The larger counties could afford to pay their workers better if they consolidated many of the management operations.
No one wants to start the conversation, but it really needs to happen.
I like the cut of Mr. BHSD76’s jib. He’s a bit of a pirate, and that’s good. This group, this council, trying to grub more money for the counties to perpetuate their grubbing needs to be the first batch of fellows to propose axing a couple of counties.
Are you fellows in the legislatures out there listening? No, I suppose not, but grudznick will send you post cards on this issue.
Are you moving back to Madville, Mr. H?
I made the unfortunate decision to take the scenic route recently through Lake County. My vehicle still hasn’t forgiven me. The roads need a lot of work. But all I’ve heard is that they want a new jail. Is the opt out for roads, jail, or both? Combining counties is unpopular but is probably the most logical solution. The want for regional jails would be diminished. County highway departments could combine and share resources. It just makes sense.