February 5, 2023

You are here: Home / TOWNSHIPS

TOWNSHIPS

Welcome to the Hand County Township page, hosted by the Hand County Auditor’s Office.

On this page we hope you will find information useful for your townships.  If you are just visiting the page, we hope you find it interesting.

We are always open to new content, ideas or suggestions, so if you want, contact us at [email protected] and we’ll see what we can do.

2023 Information

2023 Property Tax Levies by District Type (Valid 01-19-23)

Letters were sent to township clerks (on 1-27-23) to check:

  • If the township wanted to be part of the auditor’s combined legal notice of annual meetings.
  • To remind them that the statutory meeting date is the first Tuesday of March, which is the 7th.
  • To remind them of the board meeting date which is the last Tuesday of February, which is the 28th.
  • To let them know the Director of Equalization is planning a workshop for Township Officers in March.

Township Officers can TEXT the auditor’s office via our Google account:  605-550-0233

Worksheets for the Treasurer and Clerk will be sent out soon but downloadable versions are available here:

2022 Information

2022 Rural Access Infrastructure Grant information:

On July 27, 2022 the county received $295,538.80 from the South Dakota Department of Transportation.  The use of the funds are governed by South Dakota Codified Law Chapter 31-34 which can be accessed by clicking this link:  https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes?Statute=31-34

It is well advised that township boards read the statutes very carefully before assuming that they can apply for the funds.  Township eligibility is outlined in 31-34-6 and 31-34-7.  Not all Hand County townships are eligible at this time.

The county is also able to apply for these funds to cover eligible projects in the unincorporated townships of which there are five.

The best source of information is through your membership to the South Dakota Association of Towns and Townships, their website is:  http://sdtownships.com/

Application deadline is October 31, 2022 so act now so your not scrambling later.

Online structure map provided by the state of South Dakota:  Link Here

2022 Annual Meeting Information

  • Summary of the 2022 Township Officers
  • Township annual meetings are approaching.  I show March 1 as the first Tuesday of March.  I will be mailing a postcard out soon requesting an update to the list of times and places for the township meetings.
  • What is a “base levy“.  The base levy is the amount of tax dollars that a township has authority to collect.  It is not what they might actually collect.  The base levy is built from year to year and is the levy that is allowed to increase without an opt-out.  It can be increased by the CPI (Consumer Price Index) as reported by the Department of Revenue and it can increase if you have growth in your township.  If you base is $5,000 in 2022 and the CPI is 1.3% and your have 0.55% growth, you 2023 base will be:  $5,000 x 1.85% (CPI +Grown = $92.50) = $5,092.50 and you round it to the nearest dollar, so $5,093 is the new base.  The same process will take place in future years.  This is how the legislature allows you to deal with inflation without having to do an opt-out.
  • The CPI as published on 01/26/2022 by the South Dakota Department of Revenue is 3.0%
  • OPT-OUTs.  During your annual meetings, be sure to look over your opt-out files and see if they are expiring.  It they are and you want to continue the opt-out into the future, you will need to do that ASAP.  Please remember to the use the correct form for this and follow the law as it relates to notifications / publication.
  • Road & Bridge Levy.  This is a levy townships can do without doing the opt-out process.  The funds are specifically for use on roads and bridges.  It is important to know the rules on this so you don’t get in trouble.  Please use the form for this as well.  It requires a resolution and all to often it is written into the minutes as a motion.
  • MINUTES  (They are very important)
    • For each type of levy your township utilizes, a separate notation should be in your minutes.  A paragraph for the general (base) levy, a paragraph of the opt-out levy and a paragraph for the resolution (in full text) for the road and bridge levy.
  • Contacting Auditor DeBoer:  I normally work everyday of the week, between 8a and 6p, sometimes 7p.  The best way to contact me with questions is by email because I can answer them at any time, day or night, in the office and out.
    • Email: [email protected]
    • Office:  605-853-2182  (If I don’t answer the phone, leave a message with Carolyn)
    • Text:  204*1049 (local area code) (I’m trying avoid spammers with the cryptic number scheme)
      • Please don’t call my phone as I have the ringer off so I can answer the office phone.
    • If you need disbursement information (money we’ve sent you, ask for Carolyn)

FORMS to DOWNLOAD:

South Dakota Department of Legislative Audit Resources for Townships [What the DLA wants you to use]

RESOURCES | Legislative Audit (sd.gov) Direct link to the DLA website.

REFERENCES:

FY 2021 Information

RURAL ACCESS INFRASTRUCTURE FUND

The Rural Access Infrastructure Fund (RAIF) is a program created by South Dakota House Bill 1259.  Entitled: “An Act to make an appropriation for rural access infrastructure improvement”

The state has provided some valuable tools to help townships navigate through this program and create the data that needed to secure funding for waterway structures that are 20′ (the size as which the county becomes responsible) or less, down to an opening of 16 square feet.

Please take the time to look over this information because all of it is important to understanding the program.  There are two sources to acquire information, the first being:

The South Dakota Association of County Commissioners.  On the “Highway Superintendent” page the following links are available for you to view and download:

The South Dakota Association of Towns & Townships.  On the home page.

2021 Township Forms 

May 25, 2020 — An ad valorem tax is a tax based on the assessed value of an item, such as real estate or personal property. The most common ad valorem taxes are property taxes levied on real estate. The Latin phrase ad valorem means “according to value.” So all ad valorem taxes are based on the assessed value of the item being taxed.  (Ad Valorem Tax Definition (investopedia.com)

2021 Property Tax Year (Posted December 22, 2020)

TrueNorth Steel (Beadle County bid book – valid for other units of government)
HURON, SD OFFICE

TrueNorth Steel
220 4th Street NW
Huron, SD 57350

Telephone: 605-352-8643
Email: [email protected]

South Dakota Association of Towns and Townships

 

2020 Property Tax Year

On November 23, 2020 I received word that the growth report (with utilities) was ready to use for calculating tax levies.

The report is broken down into two segments.  The first is the report for the County as a while, the school districts and the fire districts.  Only the Polo Fire District has taxing authority.  All other fire departments negotiate with the townships for support.

The Tax Incremental Finance (TIF) District is also attached to this report.  That portion only applies to the Harrold Terminal in Miller Township an used solely for the purposes of the TIF.

Click on this link to view or download this segment of the report:  County, Schools, Fire Districts & TIF for 2021

The second segment contains the growth data for the Towns and Townships.  It does not include the unorganized townships because they are part of what is called “Secondary Roads” which is included in the first segmented report.

Click on this link to view or download the second segment of the report:  Towns & Townships for 2021

Important changes from 2019 to 2020:

*** PT-73 Report detailing Township tax requests payable in 2020 *** (gives you the dollar amount from which to build).

  • The auditor’s office will no longer be providing the South Dakota Association of Towns and Townships “Township Laws” booklet.
    • If you want additional copies, please visit: http://www.sdtownships.com/
    • Contact Information:
      • South Dakota Association of Towns & Townships
        P.O. Box 903
        Huron, South Dakota 57350
        Email: [email protected]
        Phone: 605-353-1439
        Cell: 605-936-3883
  • We can not accept blank forms when you turn in your township reports.  Forms with missing data will result in misinformation during filing.
  • We can not edit your report forms, even with your township’s permission.
  • Levy requests must be filled out completely using numeric values were appropriate.
  • You may not submit levy forms which indicate that you want the “MAX”, numeric values must be presented.
  • CPI values have been published and the form is available for viewing or download below.
  • Publication from the SD-Department of Revenue for 2020 on Opt-Outs

In the next area you will find reports of previous years officers, Legal Notices file or to be filed related to our townships and Township Forms.

In accordance with:   SDCL “8-5-14. Supervisor names and phone numbers to be posted on township website. A county official of any county that maintains an official website shall post thereon the name and phone number of each person serving on a board of township supervisors within the county.
Source: SL 2019, ch 52, § 1.”

Township Officers 2004-2005

Township Officers 2017-2018

Township Officers 2018

Township Officers 2018-2019

Township Officers 2019

Township Officers 2020

Township Officers 2021

Township Officers 2022