County Adopts 2023 Budget

Commissioner Don Kettering was the lone nay vote.

During the discussion of the provisional budget, Kettering asked about the country’s ongoing contribution to Yankton Thrive.

“Right now, we have $50,000 in the budget for Thrive, and that is still on the ‘YES3!’ campaign,” Commissioner Cheri Loest said.

Citing a suggestion by a presenter at the last County Commission meeting on the YES4! campaign, Kettering said the commitment should be guaranteed to continue on longer.

“I would suggest that we pay what we’ve committed to pay over the last three years, plus make a commitment for the next five years,” he said. “(Tom Micelotta) requested that we continue the $50,000 per year for five years.”

Loest said her notes also suggested adding $25,000 for the current YES4! campaign, but this was not budgeted.

However, Commission Chairman Joseph Healy was a bit more hesitant to make long-term commitments.

“My opinion would be that we take Thrive and all of these donated monies on a year-by-year basis,” he said. “The reason we’re still paying off what was allocated before is because that was a five-year commitment. We had no idea what kind of dollars the county would have five years from (then).”

Loest said she felt that it would be best to approach additions or extensions to the annual Yankton Thrive pledge later.

“We have an election coming up and we could have three new commissioners sitting here who might have different views, so I think this conversation probably needs to happen next year,” she said. “For us to sit here and make a decision for five years down the road is not responsible.”

Kettering argued that the county needs to be planning ahead.

“Any organization has long-term plans,” he said.

No major alterations were made to the budget other than to relist $123,000 of Highway Department spending, originally listed under secondary roads, as gravel.

In other business Tuesday, the commission:

• Approved two plats;

• Approved a disability leave request;

• Approved listing a mower and some small land holdings as surplus.

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