South Dakota
Hot Springs residents fighting back against rising property taxes
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – Property taxes are on the rise across KOTA Territory, and residents in Hot Springs are feeling the strain, with some claiming their taxes jumped as much as 65% between 2023 and 2024.
“When we moved here, we thought it would be affordable, and as things progressed, we’re wondering how affordable it will be because if they raised taxes 65% in one year, and it depends on everybody that lives here and what their taxes increased, but what is stopping them from doing this again next year,” said Shaw, a homeowner.
John Stewart, another homeowner in Hot Springs added the increasing property assessments aren’t bringing any benefits to homeowners.
“I’m not making any money on my home, so you’re telling me my house went from 371 thousand to 380 thousand doesn’t put any money in my pocket, all it does is take money away from me,” Stewart said.
The Shaw’s say their concerns deepened earlier this year when they witnessed an elderly couple leaving a medical center in tears, saying the couple claimed they had to choose between paying for food or medicine.
Determined to take action, the Shaw’s say they went to Pierre to attend a meeting about property taxes.
There, they handed out letters but said they were refused a chance to speak at the meeting.
“Let’s say your COLA goes up and they take another hundred, that’s better than 2, 3, 4 thousand, taking away the golden years of your retirement and that for your trips I mean 3, 4 thousand that’s a big trip to go see grandkids that’s enough even to take a cruise and they take it from his house, his house, my house, they take it from everybody,” Shaw said.
Shaw criticized the government’s approach, stating that the focus was on “filling their bucket” at the expense of the people and urging Kristi Noem and South Dakota Legislators to create a special session to address this problem instead of doing studies.
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Copyright 2024 KOTA. All rights reserved.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – If you’re driving to get to your destination this weekend, you’re in the majority. More cars are expected on South Dakota roads than last year, according to AAA.
This weekend is the official launch of the tourist season in South Dakota. At Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Campground just east of Sioux Falls, general manager Ray Aljets has everything in place, rain or shine.
“We’ll be ready with all the activities that we can pack into a weekend for people to have a good time. We’re ready to go,” Aljets said.
The price at the pump doesn’t affect the number of campers, but it does affect where they come from.
“When gas prices are high, you tend to see people who are closer to your location. When gas prices come down a little bit, you generally see some people who travel a greater distance to get to you,” Aljets explained.
Whether you’re fueling up your car or your RV, you’ll be saving more than last year, according to GasBuddy.
“Now, the average gas price in South Dakota has been inching down ahead of Memorial Day gas prices, down about four cents a gallon statewide. The average is about $2.93. That’s the lowest price we’ve seen since 2021,” said Patrick De Haan with Gas Buddy.
Some tips to find the best price: download an app to compare prices at the pump. That can save you up to 30 cents per gallon. Be sure to double-check prices in tourist areas, stations close to the interstate, or before leaving the state.
“You may cross into another state, and you can see gas prices either much higher or much lower,” De Haan said.
Here in South Dakota, we have it pretty good. In comparison, it’s up to five dollars a gallon in other places.
“All in all, the West Coast is the highest in the country: California, Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, and Nevada, all with some of the highest prices,” De Haan explained.
After checking gas prices, don’t forget to call 511 for road conditions, including construction detours, to make your trip as stress-free as possible.
“Whether you’re local or you’ve come from hundreds of miles, we’re going to put on a good time for you,” Aljets said.
The best time to travel is before noon every day this weekend, and the least amount of traffic on the road is expected to be on Saturday and Sunday.
Copyright 2025 Dakota News Now. All rights reserved.
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