Dave Baumeister | County Correspondent
SIOUX FALLS – This week, the Minnehaha County Commission had an unusually short meeting, but they did set up some county auctions and discussed property taxes.
The first auction is the housing auction planned for September 25. As reported previously, eight properties are being auctioned off to pay back taxes owed Minnehaha County. Also, another county building which was declared surplus, will be auctioned at the same time. While the opening bids will need to be the amount owed for back taxes because it is an auction, the properties could sell for much more.
The Office of Equalization lists the assessed values of between $15,000 and $165,000 for these properties.
As Auditor Ben Kyte explained, any money raised will be prorated among the appropriate taxing entities.
That means, while a portion of the money will go to the county, portions will also go to the school district and municipalities where the properties are located, when applicable. The county will receive the total proceeds for their building they listed as surplus, and that value was established at $1 million.
At this meeting, commissioners authorized the auction and publication of the properties. The auction will occur on Saturday, September 25, in the Minnehaha County Commission’s meeting room.
Commissioners also approved an auction on September 20 for items listed as surplus with the county highway department. The list of items to be auctioned off includes highway vehicle, plows, tractors, mowers, etc. It was approved that the assessor’s office could list two vehicles a surplus and auction them in the near future, although no date was set for that auction.
‘Mobile’ homes
In talking about unpaid back taxes, Commissioner Jeff Barth brought up Mobile Home taxes. Like regular property taxes, they are due a year late (i.e., in 2021, people pay their 2020 taxes). However, Barth pointed out the “mobile” nature of mobile homes. For many of them, at any time, they can be hooked to a vehicle and just driven away. He used the example of motor vehicle taxes, and how they are due every year for that year and suggested the same should be true for mobile homes.
This all came about when commissioners had to declare “distress warrants” to seize mobile homes with unpaid property taxes. However, as Barth explained, many of these mobile homeowners owing back taxes have simply hooked up their homes and driven away. No action was taken on Barth’s comments, but issuing the distress warrants was unanimously approved by commissioners.
Liquor fees
There was also a good deal of discussion when commissioners took the final vote on establishing liquor license fees. As was explained at last week’s meeting, there is a three-mile “buffer” around all municipalities where the county can’t sell licenses. After a week to think about this, several commissioners had more questions for Auditor Kyte and Deputy State’s Attorney Eric Bogue about that zone. It was made clear that the buffer was for off-sale license only, and that no governing body can issue licenses in that area. As for on-sale licenses, the county still collects the fees for any licenses sold anywhere in the county to bars not in incorporated municipalities.
Commissioner Cindy Heiberger speculated, and Bogue agreed, that this rule existed so a liquor store can’t open just outside city limits to avoid paying a higher licensing fee. For on-sale licenses, state law restricts counties to charging the same amount for licensing as the nearest municipality, so that is not an issue.
Call 988 for help
During commissioner’s liaison reports, Heiberger spoke about a recent conference she attended where she learned that a mental health hotline, phone number 988, was now in operation in Minnehaha County.
The number is specifically for people needing help with mental health related issues, like suicide, for themselves and others.
It is believed that once this number is more well-known, it will take some burden off 911 dispatchers.
However, as Commission Chair Dean Karsky said, “Whether it’s 911, 211 or 988, if people need help, one of those numbers will get them to the correct person.”
The next commission meeting will be on Tuesday, September 7, at 9 am in the commission meeting room on the second floor of the Minnehaha County Administration Building at 6th and Minnesota in Sioux Falls. All county residents are encouraged to attend and time is always set aside for public input.