Just wanted to post this to show it is not just a local issue to be denied, or just ignored, when making a public records request. As you may recall, we made several public records request with the Auditors Office of Custer County, and was met with an unlawful form to fill out, and a…
Question- As a general rule or understanding, what is the purpose of bylaws of a government entity? Answer- As a general rule, the purpose of bylaws for a government entity—such as a special district, board, commission, or other local governmental or quasi-governmental body—is to establish internal operating rules and procedures that guide how the entity…
A Huge Win for Free Speech in South Dakota: My Personal Experience with Law Enforcement Being Weaponized — and Why SB 137 Changes Everything Last summer I got a call from the sheriff’s office. A road district board member, Dale Ruzicka, whom I’ve written about on this site had filed a complaint about my posts….
There are many resources online, from public and private forums with regular people to public and private forums with legal experts. I love finding these resources and shooting off a question. Question- In South Dakota, can a road district, or any other “special district”, put more requirements on people than the law has? For example,…
Back in the beginning of this mishigas, I was at a county commissioners meeting and the Custer County State’s Attorney, Tracy Kelley, was there. At that time, I still thought she was a decent person. I tend to think everybody is a decent and honest person until they prove otherwise. Tracy had suggested simply voting…
If only that were true. This is the board that actually wrote bylaws to keep qualified people from running for a board position. Like so many of the bylaws, this one too was unlawful, as it contradicts state law. Here it is: Section 4.1 – Membership: All landowners of record of any real property lying…
In the sleepy town of Gravel Gulch, South Dakota, where the roads were more pothole than pavement, the Bumpy Road District Board of Trustees held sway. This trio of elected officials—handpicked by a handful of voters who showed up to the annual meeting because the coffee was free—were infamous for their “efficiency.” That is, they…
The following seems rather obvious to many of us, but apparently was not obvious to the Apple Dumpling Gang. You may recall they told the Open Meeting Commission that they thought this would be easy and that they knew nothing about the requirements to follow the law. So, I thought I’d share this for the…
In South Dakota, county road districts, like many local government bodies, are entrusted with managing public resources and making decisions that affect our communities. As residents, we rely on these boards to operate with integrity and openness. One key indicator of a board’s commitment to transparency is how it handles public comment during meetings. While…
As previously stated, one solution for this road district is to replace the Apple Dumpling Gang with honest and honorable people. That’s assuming there are any in the district. We did have a reasonable candidate last year, but somehow she did not win. <shocker> Something to keep in mind is that it will take a…
You cannot copy content of this page