President’s Report

WOW!! What a last month this has been. I had my first child graduate from high school, my daughter competed in the state track meet, Memorial weekend came and went in a blur, and last week (at the time this article was submitted) the Human Resource and Finance Officers’ Schools were held in Oacoma. What a great job done by both affiliate presidents; HR President Donna Langland, Brookings; and FO President Mary McClung, Harrisburg and their board members. The sessions were excellent! Everything from “Why Can’t We Just All Get Along,” “What’s Yours Like,” and “Living with an Attitude of Altitude” featuring the “Laugh Lady” to Hot Topics in HR, Budgeting, Constitutional Debt Limit, How to Hire an Engineer, Liquor Laws and Excise Tax, everything was either entertaining or informational.

A big thank you to the SDML staff, Yvonne Taylor, Christine Lehrkamp, Carrie Harer, April LeBeau, and Lori Butler for all that you do to make our conference a success! nominations, I could look around the entire room and see others that were deserving of the award. A BIG thank you to Marilee Kricil, Deputy Finance Officer! I could not do my job without her!

After reading the letters of support from fellow coworkers and community members, I can say that I feel honored, humbled, gracious,and so very very blessed. It is truly a privilege to work for the citizens of Wagner and be part of the process to keep our community growing and successful!

See you next month,

Lastly, at the SD Governmental Finance Officers’ Association banquet, I was honored to receive the Finance Officer of the Year Award. I was truly shocked! With many Becky Brunsing President

Director’s Notes continued from page 4

we all write fewer checks any more – now your city can, also. Of course, this is a local option.

j What is meant by “promotion of the city” is now clearer – When you host an event in your city, we were able to clarify that promotion includes any costs incidental to the hosting of events within your city. So stuff like barriers, porta-potties, extra law enforcement – the things that have to be there for the event to be possible – are now allowed.

For anyone who has ever dealt with a railroad when you try to cross their tracks with a utility line – water, sewer, or electric – it isn’t an easy process. It should be better, now. You can still negotiate with them, but there is now a onetime crossing fee of $750 for a city utility line crossing under the railroad right-of-way. And if it is crossing the railroad in the PUBLIC right of way, there is NO fee.

And finally, our big deal this year. And it is really more of a theory than a real law – BUT – we are all pretty familiar with Dillon’s Rule – and South Dakota is a Dillon’s Rule State. That means cities ONLY have the powers given to them by the State, and those powers NECESSARILY IMPLIED. Over the years, we’ve found a sense that the “necessarily implied” has been eroded, and we seem to need legislative approval for every little thing. SO, we were successful in convincing the legislature to basically put the NECESSARILY IMPLIED into state law – so you have by state law “The power to perform all administrative and financial functions for all purposes authorized by law or necessary to the exercise of any power granted.”

Not all things are legislative, however. We also use your policy statement to work with state and federal entities to resolve issues. For example, we had intended to ask for legislation to revise procedures regarding appeals to the local board of equalization, but received a letter that clarifies the deadline and states in part, “failure to perfect an appeal to the local board of equalization is a jurisdictional issue that is fatal to the taxpayer’s appeal. The local board of equalization would not have jurisdiction to hear the taxpayer’s appeal.” Because of this clarification, we no longer felt legislation was necessary.

Until next month, remember we are always available at 1-800-658-3633 or yvonne@sdmunicipalleague.org.

Yvonne Taylor Executive Director