Effort to move Dewey County seat results in legislation that will make it more difficult to change locations

PIERRE, S.D. – A Senate committee this morning (Friday) amended and then approveed a bill that would increase the percentage of signatures needed to petition for an election to move a county seat.
Senate Bill 56 stems from an effort last year to move the Dewey County seat from Timber Lake to Eagle Butte. Dewey County is also part of the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. Eagle Butte is the headquarters of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe.

Sen. Ryan Maher, a Republican from Isabel, sponsored the bill. The Senate Local Government amended the bill from 40% of eligible voters signing a petition to 20%. Current law is 15% to bring a petition for an election to move the county seat.

The committee also struck most of the suggested changes to the law, such as a three-fourths vote for approval and a fiscal note.
Several legislators expressed concerns about verifying the residency of petition signers.
The bill as amended passed 7 to 0. It now heads to the full Senate for consideration.
In a March 2022 article in the West River Eagle, Eagle Butte Mayor James Traversie said he would support moving the county seat noting the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
But the chairman of the Dewey County Commissioners Bob Berndt said he “absolutely” does not want the county seat moved, pointing to the expense involved of building a new courthouse.

The West River Eagle reported the Dewey County courthouse serves approximately 5,239 people in an area of 2,302 square miles. The population per square mile is 2.3. Over 3,000 live within one mile of Eagle Butte.  The population per square mile is 295.8. Timber Lake has a population of 509 people and covers less than one square mile. It’s a 42-mile drive from Eagle Butte to Timber Lake, and over 50 or 60 miles to Timber Lake from the most outlying communities, closer to 85 if the roads are bad and taking a detour becomes necessary.

Supporters of moving the county seat from Timber Lake to Eagle Butte say it would make the county seat more centrally-located for the convenience of all residents.

People are also reading...

Weather

loader-image
Rapid City, US
6:10 pm, December 11, 2024
temperature icon 19°F
overcast clouds
Humidity 88 %
Pressure 1024 mb
Wind 8 mph
Wind Gust: 0 mph
Visibility: 10 km
Sunrise: 7:18 am
Sunset: 4:14 pm
Sarah Bestgen

Market News

Share via
Copy link