[{"_1":2,"_104":-5,"_105":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,84,94],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6520149,"mediaKeyId","5334505-7a24d143fb8e3f2f75c13a38ea081e11","parentId",5334505,"title","State's attorney seeks legal secretary hire, warns juvenile diversion funding may need local support","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",7070000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5334505-7a24d143fb8e3f2f75c13a38ea081e11&start=7070&end=7070","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5334505-7a24d143fb8e3f2f75c13a38ea081e11/thumbnail_7070000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6520149/Clay-County/South-Dakota/States-attorney-seeks-legal-secretary-hire-warns-juvenile-diversion-funding-may-need-local-support","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6520149-e46bb476f23dc56185cb9f68e50992f3/orig.mp4?Expires=1775197120&Signature=aYW29NWeZnriR7kN0bXG6gcMGR5wcPvfoCpYbdd0KHvnt2YteQ29YKR3tAbB5STZ1eSyZpfBcyanGMhcTiPVvslPNAA~PuRgGtvWzd196cLJZc6NinP2ScwZ3iqw7I9vuVdUpE-gczpllsY-kxCCbIVRsKulgN9b~8SPq4zlT-W761ZSuXqKbvBQy~IeZU3Gees1~KlJVGy9w0WVX4Mylr2qjVWjnKMvT5SoeOXasStd6XVnmBjuL5jb0KltyTrJjysLnGhjNAvmhEnel-D2LtqZYWryrZmHbodwj1Pjzka9zrANqxJGryq1zL14k-~5m~t5~cYLK7Y7lzHY2Ht~9A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Clay County South Dakota","date","2025-07-08T20:06:47Z","article","State's Attorney Michael presented his office’s budget request and asked commissioners to consider funding a new legal secretary and to prepare for potential future county funding of juvenile diversion services.

Michael said the legal secretary position would likely cost about $60,000–$65,000 per year including benefits; he asked the county to consider hiring at a step above entry level to attract an experienced candidate. He described current workload pressures in the office — staffing shortfalls, work tied to juvenile and welfare cases, and record/document needs — and said trained paralegals are spending a substantial portion of their time on public reception and routine administrative tasks rather than legal research and drafting.

On juvenile services, Michael explained that Clay County participates in a three‑year juvenile diversion grant (the county is entering year two of the grant). The grant funds a juvenile diversion coordinator who provides conditional release and case‑management services designed to keep some young people out of the state juvenile detention center (JDC). Michael said the program’s state reimbursement structure is complex; under current grant rules the county may need to fund the diversion coordinator after the grant ends (projected July 1, 2027 for full local responsibility if not renewed). He described teen court as an alternative diversion model that serves different cases but said teen court may be increasingly expensive and that some counties are being asked to shoulder more of its cost. The county’s teen‑court line item has grown from $3,500 in earlier years to $7,000 in recent budgets; the provider (Boys & Girls Club) has asked counties to consider larger contributions as state funding changes.

Michael also raised a statewide issue: the South Dakota Bar Association has recommended the state Supreme Court adopt mandatory continuing legal education (CLE) for attorneys. He said that change — if adopted — would likely increase training costs and travel for county prosecutors who would need to comply.

Ending: The county did not make a funding decision at the meeting; Michael said he would return with more precise salary and program data for final budget deliberations.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","July 8, 2025 County Commission Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","State's Attorney Michael requested a new legal secretary and outlined juvenile diversion programming. He said the county's juvenile diversion coordinator is grant‑funded through a three‑year grant and that the county may need to fund youth diversion and teen‑court programs after grant expiration.","taxTitle","Clay County, South Dakota","taxId",55676,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":42,"_43":77,"_45":77,"_46":78,"_48":79,"_50":80,"_52":81,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":82,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":83,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6520155,"County budget discussions flag broad software and personnel cost increases; commissioners schedule follow‑up to finalize opt‑out",244000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5334505-7a24d143fb8e3f2f75c13a38ea081e11&start=244&end=244","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5334505-7a24d143fb8e3f2f75c13a38ea081e11/thumbnail_244000.jpg","/articles/6520155/Clay-County/South-Dakota/County-budget-discussions-flag-broad-software-and-personnel-cost-increases-commissioners-schedule-followup-to-finalize-optout","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6520155-c581b8f028d5a108e06f084b489a6c42/orig.mp4?Expires=1775197120&Signature=mJvSzRebtviNzcW~J-PH5MsSgxQ-HVhDWghBKV3wTgUEzy~abJFNW4vv3~44ukbsXPo6IMXz5loVlPwwZK4rp3C-T6pvLU6N7WTAGN09BGjy-sSFGeIyCB-delr93IUUmQwWCIZZRcJtCWDcqiO0Lw~GLySeq7yE173YX7oSfKHO6Io13XlYMKthja~TkVB41GeYyJ-GYJbxHtn8oLuzdGk4r4nhtgE6fYgnCXO~Iqbxoh-ls2Mq2FYzEDFyzNUgRAL7orWaQNqNuki7OMB4PgCJbn95hvcg-aLvgoMib2Ka~-9DNXXiH-XoQvbvlIIR6UvwBjGKe7hhskNmIqTzsw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Department heads across Clay County used the meeting to highlight recurring themes for the FY2026 budget: rising software and licensing fees, modest group insurance increases, and personnel requests or position restorations.

Treasury and records staff described a network of software products with growing license costs and interconnections: TriNet (indexing/record search), TTEC (property tax management), TriMin (recording/recording‑software), Tracker (records index used in several offices), Paylocity (payroll), and Assist (new countywide accounting software planned to replace Bossa Nova). County staff said some licensing costs will rise steadily over the next several years as products move to cloud subscriptions and as the county completes software conversions.

Several department heads also noted insurance and COLA assumptions: group insurance lines were budgeted at 4% in some offices while others forecasted up to 10% until final premiums are known. The countywide personnel/compensation package under consideration includes a 5% cost‑of‑living adjustment built into the draft numbers; staff noted that the difference between various COLA scenarios materially changes the levy impact.

Commissioners set a follow‑up meeting (Thursday at 09:00) to reconcile outstanding items and to confer with the county facilities/finance team about the opt‑out resolution and final levy decisions. Several presenters said they would return with refined cost details after additional checks with vendors and final construction/implementation files for conversion projects.

Ending: The board scheduled a Thursday follow‑up to reconcile software conversion and personnel requests ahead of the county’s formal opt‑out and levy deadline.","Multiple department heads told the board that rising software licensing and personnel costs are woven through FY2026 budgets. The commissioners set a follow‑up meeting to reconcile numbers and consider opt‑out/levy options.",{"_33":85,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":86,"_41":42,"_43":87,"_45":87,"_46":88,"_48":89,"_50":90,"_52":91,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":92,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":93,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6520159,"Commissioners approve five‑year highway plan as director outlines bridge projects, funding tradeoffs",3889000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5334505-7a24d143fb8e3f2f75c13a38ea081e11&start=3889&end=3889","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5334505-7a24d143fb8e3f2f75c13a38ea081e11/thumbnail_3889000.jpg","/articles/6520159/Clay-County/South-Dakota/Commissioners-approve-fiveyear-highway-plan-as-director-outlines-bridge-projects-funding-tradeoffs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6520159-8201c31592f4e162c3dc4b8d748386c2/orig.mp4?Expires=1775197120&Signature=CP4v2EFefsMOot82pTwcd56hUGfRbcy5arrePZdBXzyPLbJR0G0LlBxDE5XHmCQwnXj6T-tzleB~JCvWcktWwuj31m7TyJvWKwpRP4fI9DH9~RTYtkJZgoEnM9~pZrVWcA0JmAzuuCFnuQ21XoqkvhNQ~toZwuKSOv4xYsElEVsqCR1KazIomiI6mDgSoqfjDXsaH1Bq-J-2IYwtJ4tP93bcwRvl1TfIFWfMH8ell5Npx9gYpZXHhXHQK6XhVxXbZjTBUa9yC0BRgHRnUa5EAB5z5DkrMPsRVqS8b5EOLoLpu9jMz~vY8idKWDw3s8IhMtlTdAtc4AN9Kr6Jbi-isQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Clay County Board of Commissioners voted to accept the highway department’s five‑year plan during the meeting, with a motion, a second and unanimous approval.

Highway Director Brent summarized the plan and said it includes bridge projects that will next undergo hydraulic and deck inspections. He said the two larger rehabilitation projects currently on the draft plan require additional field inspections to firm up cost estimates, and that the DOT’s grant selection uses a points‑based system that favors projects that are “bid‑ready” (plans, permits, easements and utility coordination completed) at the time of application.

Brent described how counties can increase competitive score through local choices: increasing wheel tax from $4 to $5 yields extra points, and pre‑funding engineering/design to make a project bid‑ready can produce an even larger points boost at the application stage. He cautioned that bid‑ready status requires advance work (hydrology studies, 404 permits and easement acquisition) and that those costs are often borne locally before state grant awards.

Brent identified specific candidates for rehabilitation work (a bridge near West Main and a northeast‑corner bridge that showed embankment erosion after last year’s floods) and said some projects may be pushed later in the five‑year window because of scoring and competition from other counties. He also described federal emergency‑repair (ER) funding that applies to a separate set of flood‑related bridge repairs.

The board discussed local funding options and the tradeoffs of advancing engineering work now to improve grant competitiveness. Commissioners then voted to accept the five‑year plan; Brent will finalize the packet and submit it to the state DOT with the board’s endorsement.

Ending: The five‑year plan was approved and will be submitted to the DOT; commissioners asked Brent to return with refined cost estimates after inspections and hydrology studies.","The Clay County Board unanimously approved the highway department's five‑year plan. Highway Director Brent described two rehab bridge projects under consideration, explained DOT scoring and 'bid‑ready' incentives, and discussed local match and wheel‑tax options to improve grant competitiveness.",{"_33":95,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":96,"_41":42,"_43":97,"_45":97,"_46":98,"_48":99,"_50":100,"_52":101,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":102,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":103,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6520163,"Sheriff asks commissioners to fund courthouse security, more jail staff as jail revenues could offset costs",1783000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5334505-7a24d143fb8e3f2f75c13a38ea081e11&start=1783&end=1783","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5334505-7a24d143fb8e3f2f75c13a38ea081e11/thumbnail_1783000.jpg","/articles/6520163/Clay-County/South-Dakota/Sheriff-asks-commissioners-to-fund-courthouse-security-more-jail-staff-as-jail-revenues-could-offset-costs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6520163-5fe2b253daae6b1a4b8238fe97061c15/orig.mp4?Expires=1775197120&Signature=OqhQv4fwkWwDKl67eY0phHbg8DZsLERvpXRFiI-6pXh0LNnpOvlCNfcNhu1CdBrNTpKEviHm0wDW8RPwZy7uigpLskw1wwaDoGnCotM7LN1PuX-F5fnxHHUsS5C~rEn7WFA4EgUCCekCxXSzaQlNxtgv0vdxZHdxEPb6urvsKZVIrqX02~JMZsSutaflORTPeeKaSY78Ls3pPddT2mK4fN9XBaf2-OsjmOyjLxvh1wW6Za~6GTbDdkOM63I3BsvQ4q0RIzlsgN86huaypAPqZrJXae5ilmxUtA9CGKDWbc0ECpnNs41INB63CnXV3A3uLp3615YYs1kZ6MpInPNZpA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Clay County Board of Commissioners on an unspecified date heard a budget presentation from Sheriff Andy that included requests for courthouse security staff, a part‑time front‑desk position, expanded jail staffing and equipment to outfit additional patrol vehicles.

Sheriff Andy told commissioners the courthouse security wages line in his proposed budget would total $127,800 if the county funds the positions. He also asked for a part‑time receptionist position he estimated at about $22,000–$23,000 a year and said the combined new personnel requests on the sheriff's side total roughly $150,541. Andy said the personnel request for the jail side included roughly $60,000 for a program/director position focused on inmate services and reentry support if the county chose not to pursue outside grant funding.

The sheriff described equipment and vehicle costs tied to any personnel increases, saying equipping a patrol vehicle (radios and installations) runs about $10,000 per car. He said next year is a planned two‑car purchase cycle for the fleet and that outfitting one additional vehicle would be required if the county adds courthouse security deputies.

On jail operations, Andy said he has raised the inmate meals line from about $30,000 this year to $260,000 in the proposed budget to match higher per‑diem feeding costs and the facility's expanded capacity. He described a revenue strategy that depends on boarding inmates from other counties: if the jail can board about 20 outside inmates in addition to local prisoners, he estimated that could produce roughly $650,000–$700,000 a year in revenue. He said Clay County’s current boarding rate is $80 per day and suggested moving the rate to about $90–$95 per day after the new facility opens; he noted neighboring rates for context (Minnehaha County about $107, Yankton about $105, Union about $85).

Andy also discussed staffing strategy for courthouse security, saying his worst‑case personnel cost (two deputies and associated backfill) was included in the $127,800 figure and that a lower‑cost approach — part‑time or retired officers — may be possible but is difficult given the local labor pool. He told commissioners that some requested positions could be deferred if the board does not want to fund courthouse security this year.

On jail population and revenue, Andy said the county historically ran mid‑teens in local inmates but has reached as high as 30 during peak periods. He said his financial modeling assumes boarding 20 nonlocal inmates would substantially offset staffing increases and that revenues from boarding could be used to operate or improve the law enforcement center under state rules and the county’s project accounting.

Commissioners asked about alternatives and contingent savings if positions are not funded; Andy responded with line‑item impacts (for example, cutting courthouse security would reduce the overall sheriff increase by roughly $127,800). No formal action on the sheriff’s requests was taken at the meeting.

Ending: The commission kept the sheriff’s requests under consideration; staff and commissioners indicated they would reconcile details with finance staff and revisit the requests as the overall county budget conversations continue.","Clay County Sheriff presented a budget request that includes funding for courthouse security positions, a part‑time receptionist, additional jail staff and vehicle/equipment costs; he said boarding out inmates could generate revenue if the jail reaches targeted bed levels.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

State's attorney seeks legal secretary hire, warns juvenile diversion funding may need local support

County budget discussions flag broad software and personnel cost increases; commissioners schedule follow‑up to finalize opt‑out

Commissioners approve five‑year highway plan as director outlines bridge projects, funding tradeoffs

Sheriff asks commissioners to fund courthouse security, more jail staff as jail revenues could offset costs