PIERRE, SD – Several South Dakota state agencies have received money to help pay COVID-19 related costs and state officials are looking for more.
Representative Jean Hunhoff of Yankton says some of those dollars could be shifted. “I believe there were COVID dollars that went directly to departments. We may be able to shift some of these dollars because of the departments they went to like education that could be moved over to tourism.”
Hunhoff, a member of the Joint Appropriations Committee, says they had a report of the big drop the Department of Tourism is seeing.
She says the Transportation Department also reported a big reduction in highway traffic volume. “They had four months of data starting in March that showed the decrease in the use of roads.”
Hunhoff says that loss of traffic will translate to less fuel taxes. “We’re seeing a downward trend in the Motor Fuel fund. That’s what funds highways. We certainly have to keep track of that.”
The committee will meet again later this month to get an update on fiscal year 2020 and the latest tax revenue trends.
