County approves $26.9M 2023 budget
The Codington County Board of Commissioners approved a 2023 provisional budget Tuesday that is 39% higher than its 2022 predecessor.
The 2022 budget was $19,372,544 compared to $26,961,015 in 2023. According to Auditor Cindy Brugman, the budget could only be changed if an emergency were to arise before property taxes are calculated by the board.
Much of the $7.588 million increase was due to heating and cooling equipment failures at the county’s detention center, which are expected to cost around $4 million to repair. A 2022 road repair projects that came in about $800,000 over projected costs will also be paid in 2023.
What’s giving the county the latitude for the huge increase is the American Recovery Act Plan, which is providing the county with $5.4 million to spend in defined areas. The county has been using ARPA dollars to pay wages, and then accumulating budgeted salary dollars from the 2022 budget.
Over the next 10 years the county is also facing millions of dollars in bridge repairs, although some of those expenditures could be mitigated by federal and state grants.
The passage of the budget was done without further discussion from the commissioners. And, as has been the case in recent meetings, no one from the public took advantage of the commission’s offer to speak on the budget.
New phone system coming to county offices
Most county offices will be switching to a new telephone system in the near future. After hearing a handful of proposals from different vendors, commissioners selected Verizon’s internet-based system.
The county sheriff’s office and emergency management departments have been using Verizon for several years, and Sheriff Brad Howell recommended the system.
Other county offices have been using a system offered by the State of South Dakota. The state, however, is moving to a new system and informed the county earlier this year that a change was needed.
Commission hears reports from sheriff, emergency manager
Howell and Emergency Management Director Andrew Delgado provided monthly reports. Delgado covered ongoing training sessions for his department and also said testing of storm warning sirens that sound every Friday at 12 p.m. were turned off last week.
Howell reported that in August his department had received 546 cases and calls, responded to 15 accidents, executed 84 warrants and served 224 civil papers. The average daily population at the detention center was 67.52 compared to 62.94 in August of 2021 and 65.35 in July of this year. The jail’s highest daily number was 79 inmates, which matched the previous yearly high set in May. The low was 58.
Howell also noted that 107 convicted individuals who are not incarcerated are being monitored by the county’s various means.
In other action, the commissioners:
Approved a $27,137 change order from Guarantee Roofing & Sheet Metal. The roofer ran into difficulties attaching the rubber portion of the new roof to the county courthouse. That problem was alleviated by drilling holes in the brick, mounting plywood to the brick and attaching the rubber to the plywood.
Approved the reappointment of Rick Hartley as county highway superintendent, a move required by state law every 2 years.
Accepted a $25,000 grant from the S.D. Department of Health. The Health Improvement Innovation Grant will fund social services strategic planning and marketing at no cost to the county.
Noted a mileage rate change for elected county officials from 42 to 51 cents per mile, as set by the state.
This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Codington County Commission approves 2023 budget
