By Dave Baumeister, County Correspondent
SIOUX FALLS – Along with three different briefings from county agencies at this week’s meeting, Minnehaha County Commissioners agreed to settle a lien for $1,000 of the $6,931 owed.
The petition for compromise of the lien came soon after Kim Adamson from the auditor’s office reported on a surplus of funds from 2020.
Part of that surplus came from bank franchise tax revenue of $2.5 million, when the county had only planned on about $1.2 million for those tax revenues.
As to the lien, commissioners were impressed with the petitioners financial planning and his willingness to pay as much of the debt as he could.
Information presented showed household income of only $18,000 for the 2019 tax year for the family with two children.
While some liens are accrued by court costs and failure to pay property taxes, it was reported that this lien was from medical expenses that the county had covered.
The petitioner was at the meeting, and he explained how he was trying to take advantage of lower interest rates to refinance his house and reduce his monthly mortgage payments, but he couldn’t refinance with the current lien in place on his property.
He originally asked that the lien be forgiven with a one-time payment of $3,600, or just over half of the total amount.
But Commissioner Cindy Heiberger asked him if a lesser settlement would leave him in a better financial position.
She said she was moved by the facts he had two children, his income was low, and he was trying to do what he could to settle the debt.
The petitioner still said he was willing to pay the entire $3,600 to “make it right.”
However, Heiberger added that she didn’t want to see him put in a position where he would be back having to apply for more county assistance.
Commissioner Jean Bender echoed those sentiments and moved to settle the lien with a $1,000 one-time payment.
Other commissioners agreed, and the motion passed unanimously.
Agency briefings
During the course of a year, commissioners hear briefings from county departments, as well as other agencies that receive county tax dollars.
On Feb. 23, they heard three such reports.
First, Chuck Martinell from SDSU Extension, reported on the year’s activity with the Minnehaha County 4-H programs.
As with everything else, he said it was a difficult year, and he said they spent an estimated three months planning for events that never took place.
But there were some advantages.
Martinell spoke of one such event that his agency usually presented in elementary classrooms explaining how farms worked, but this year, the extension office was able to set up “virtual programs,” whereby actual area farmers could present that same information, giving kids a more first-hand, in-depth experience.
Kris Graham and others talked about programs from Southeastern Behavioral Health which helped service those with mental health issues and do things to keep them out of jails and prisons.
State figures list everyone incarcerated cost South Dakota taxpayers, on average, more than $15,000 annually.
Programs such as the Mental Health Court can keep people from being incarcerated and save tax dollars at the same time.
The third briefing came from Jay Gilbertson, manager of the East Dakota Water Development District.
He explained that their district in eastern South Dakota extends from Grant County in the north to Lincoln County in the south.
Their goal is to promote conservation, as well as water management and development.
While there are paid positions at the water district, many of the jobs there concerned with monitoring and conservation are done by volunteers.
The Minnehaha County Commission meets most Tuesdays at 9 a.m. on the second floor of the county administration building at 6th and Minnesota in Sioux Falls.
Because of COVID restrictions, the number of people in the meeting room is limited, but time is still allotted at each meeting for public input.
