In South Dakota, while both special assessments and maintenance fees fund local improvements, they are distinct legal mechanisms with separate procedural requirements within the municipal code (SDCL 9-43). Special Assessments A special assessment is used by a city to finance the construction of new, permanent local improvements (e.g., a new street, curb, or sewer line)….
In South Dakota, we are told we live in a state of “personal responsibility” and “limited government.” But when a citizen tries to hold the most powerful arm of that government—Law Enforcement—accountable, they quickly discover that the doors are locked and the windows are barred. Recently, I reached out to our elected leadership regarding a…
By Anonymous- for reasons you will soon see. As the 2026 Legislative Session begins in Pierre, the air is thick with talk of property tax relief. Politicians are lining up to promise homeowners a break from the relentless climb of valuations and levies. But there is a darker side to the South Dakota tax story…
As we enter the 2026 election cycle, South Dakota stands at a definitive crossroads. For the last several years, our state’s economic strategy has been dominated by a “recruitment first” mentality—the idea that the health of our economy is measured by how many out-of-state license plates we can attract and how many high-profile corporate logos…
In many of South Dakota’s rural neighborhoods, the most direct form of government we encounter is the special purpose district—whether it’s for roads, water, or sanitation. Under current state laws, these districts often operate with a small board of just three trustees. While a three-person board might seem efficient on paper, it has become a…
In South Dakota, we pride ourselves on local control. However, there is a dark side to “local control” when it manifests as Special Purpose Districts (Road, Sanitary, Irrigation). These districts were designed to give neighbors a way to manage shared infrastructure, but the laws governing them—specifically SDCL 31-12A—have created a constitutional crisis in our rural…
In South Dakota, the “Closed Loop” is a phenomenon well-known to those who have tried to challenge local authority. It is a system where the board member, the board’s lawyer, the State’s Attorney, and the Judge all live in the same area, belong to the same organizations, and rely on each other for professional survival….
This is part of a conversation I had, trying to determine my next moves and what I should publish here. I decided to publish a large portion of our conversation. A couple of sidenotes: The clerk took the filing and said she would immediately check with the judge. As she continued the filing process, I/we…