It is nice to have warmer weather and get outside in spite of the unprecedented circumstances. You may have heard many buildings on the County campus are currently closed to the public, it is our priority to keep residents and staff safe. This was not an easy decision and will be re-evaluated near the end of April to see if conditions warrant further closure.
Even though many county buildings may not allow general access, courts remain open per the Presiding Judge of each district and South Dakota Supreme Court Chief Justice. Courts are a state function as part of the United Judicial Service and counties do not have authority over how courts operate. Refer to your attorney if you plan a trip to courts for current access protocols.
Given the economic impact of COVID-19 on communities locally and across the state, some residents have asked if property tax due dates can be changed or if interest can be waived. Interest for late payments is assessed at the rate of .833 percent per month by statute. State law clearly indicates counties do not have statutory authority to change either of these items; codified law can only be amended by the legislature.
The County receives twenty cents of every property tax dollar collected, the remainder goes to schools, municipalities, townships, and special taxing districts (i.e. water districts, etc). Without these dollars, the County could not continue to provide important services including public safety, utility assistance, rental assistance, and other services required by statute.
The County recently updated the online property tax system with a new vendor, Govtech. This new platform provides a simplified process for taxpayers to navigate. Taxpayers are now able pay multiple properties at one time vs the previous system of paying a maximum of five properties at a time; service fees may apply. The new system is accepting 2020 property tax payments. In the first three months of the year, over 1300 residents have taken advantage of this method to save themselves a trip to the County Administration Building.
County business can be conducted online, by mail, or by phone. Please go to www.minnehahacounty.org and click on the COVID-19 sliding banner for more information. In this time of social distancing, please do your part to spread a positive attitude and kind words to those you interact with. Together this too shall pass to brighter days.
