Plan to attend an upcoming Beadle County informational meeting

At the writing of this month’s article, informational meetings have been presented to both the Democrat and Republican women’s groups, the Huron Noon Lions Club, and the State of the County in conjunction with the Huron Kiwanis Club meeting. These informational meetings focus on the financial state of Beadle County, the current condition of our 573 miles of roads and 140 bridges, and the need for support of the proposed wheel tax. Voting yes on this primary ballot issue will help Beadle County to maintain this valuable transportation network to promote commerce in our county along with providing essential access for our emergency vehicles, school buses, etc. If your group has an interest in having this information presented at your meeting or gathering, please feel free to contact a commissioner or the county auditor. The information will also be presented at the following upcoming meetings:

May 2nd at 7:00pm at the Lake Bryon Bible Camp 
May 4th at 7:00pm at the Wolsey Community Center in Wolsey
May 11th at noon at the Commercial Club meeting at the Legion Hall in Wessington
May 11th at 7:00pm at the Fire Hall in Cavour
May 17th at 7:00pm at the Community Room in Hitchcock
May 26th at noon at the Crossroads (Rotary Club) 

The remaining meetings listed above will also allow registered voters who attend to complete an application for an absentee ballot to be sent to them. The one application is all that is needed for both the primary and general election in 2010 if properly completed. A county official or notary public will be present at each meeting to witness the applicant’s signature. The ballots will be mailed to the applicant and will not require a witness of their signature to submit and complete the voting process. One of the following acceptable ID’s must also be presented when making application:

1) A South Dakota driver’s license or nondriver ID card
2) A passport or other picture ID issued by the United States government
3) A tribal photo ID
4) A current student photo ID issued by a South Dakota high school or postsecondary education institution

A person may also apply and vote absentee at the auditor’s office located on the second floor of the Beadle County Court House. You must bring one of the above listed approved ID’s. Absentee ballots will be available April 27 for the upcoming primary election. Requests by mail are also available and can be sent to the Beadle County Auditor, P.O. Box 845, Huron, SD 57350. Absentee ballot applications along with additional information are also available on the South Dakota Secretary of State web site. And finally, one of these same forms of ID will also be required when voting in person on Election Day. This year’s primary election will be June 8th and general election November 2nd. However, before you can vote in either election, you must be registered at least 15 days prior to the election. I encourage everyone to exercise your right to vote.

April is the month to pay the first half of your property taxes at the Beadle County Treasurer’s office if you have not already done so. Following is some Beadle County information on where your property tax dollar goes. These are county averages and are subject to different amounts depending on your individual situation such as which township, municipality, school district, etc. your property is located in. 

School Districts in Beadle County 53.5 cents
Beadle County 21.3 cents
Municipalities in Beadle County 20.5 cents
Townships in Beadle County 2.0 cents 
James River Water Dev. District 1.4 cents
Tax Increment Finance District 0.9 cents
Fire Districts and special assessments 0.4 cents
Property Tax dollar in Beadle County 100.0 cents (or one dollar)

Until next month,

Dick Werner, Beadle County Commission Chair
605-350-1371 dickwerner_5@hotmail.com