Policy Setting

Identifying priorities and creating a plan to accomplish goals is an often-difficult process requiring vision, understanding the impacts of cause and effect, and being amenable to change over time.

As municipal leaders, it is our role to engage in wellconceived policy setting for our communities to enable growth, anticipate impediments in process, and safeguard the community facilities and infrastructure that was created by our predecessors. This is often a difficult, long-labored process that requires anticipation of future trends and potential pitfalls.

Many newly elected leaders are just beginning this process and encountering annual municipal governmental processes for the first time while looking for opportunities to impart their vision on their local communities.

An integral part of creating policy for communities is studying current issues and developing a plan of action within what is allowed under local, state, and federal laws.

The South Dakota Municipal League engages in a policy setting process annually. Each August and October, municipal representatives volunteer their time to study issues facing communities throughout South Dakota and to develop policy proposals that will assist our communities in addressing common issues. The resulting SDML Policy Statement gives the League guidance on how to address legislative issues and helps us develop a platform to represent the members of the League and their priorities concerning local, state, and national issues.

Since this is my first time participating in the policy review, I am extremely excited and anxious to go through this integral process with the League membership. We have the opportunity to make real impacts and affect the outcome of programs and processes at the statewide level through our collective voice.

Cities are ever changing, and the SDML Policy Statement development process gives us opportunity to look at where we have been, where we are now, and set goals for where we want our communities to be in the future.

Your input is vital. Please review the policy on pages 28-41, and reach out to committee members or submit your suggestions online.

President William Henry Harrison is quoted for stating “Times change, and we change with them.” This quote is especially applicable to the needs of our South Dakota cities and the hurdles we face in providing vital services to our community members.

I look forward to working with the SDML Policy Committee members volunteering their time and energy to craft the 2023 SDML Statement of Policy and continuing the work of advocating for South Dakota communities.

Please remember, we are always available to you as a resource for your communities and I urge you to contact us if you have municipal issues or questions at 1-800-658-3633 or via email at david@sdmunicipalleague.org. ■