Pennington County commissioners made several funding decisions Sept. 19 for non‑mandated outside agencies as they finalized the FY2026 provisional budget. The board said it will press organizations that receive county money to document needs directly and sign agreements to clarify accountability.

Key decisions taken during the unmandated items review:
- Humane Society of the Black Hills: The board approved a reduced payment set at $137,000 for 2026 (the board had previously programmed $166,000). Commissioners discussed requesting a voting seat on the Humane Society board and requiring a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) as conditions for additional funding in future years. Officials agreed the county will renegotiate the contract if a different amount is desired and may use contingency to bridge shortfalls this year.

- Complete Health: Commissioners reduced the county’s discretionary support to $100,000 for FY2026 after hearing that Complete Health’s overall annual budget exceeds $12 million and that the county already covers a portion of indigent medical costs. Several commissioners said the county must prioritize mandated services and suggested tapering outside support over a multi‑year plan.

- WAVI (Working Against Violence, Inc.): The board voted to fund domestic violence services at the statutory amount derived from court fee collections, $44,500, and to remove prior supplementary amounts the sheriff’s office and state’s attorney had been allocating from their own budgets. Commissioners said they would not authorize extra county support beyond the mandated funding line without separate approvals.

- Pennington County Council on Aging: After prolonged debate about duplicated funding and missing bylaws/MOUs, the board voted to remove the organization’s FY2026 county allocation and to require the council to present signed bylaws and a procedural checklist if it seeks county funds in future. Commissioners directed staff to draft a formal process so external entities apply directly to the board with transparent documentation; contingency could be used for urgent one‑time requests.

- West River Mental Health and pivot‑point services: Commissioners kept funding levels but asked buildings and grounds and county staff to quantify the county’s facilities costs (maintenance, depreciation) and to look for better cost‑sharing with other counties and the state. The board reiterated that West River provides regional services that avoid more costly out‑of‑county hospitalizations.

Several commissioners emphasized that county support should prioritize mandated services and that non‑mandated grants should not duplicate city or other funding streams. Commissioners directed county staff to prepare MOUs or contract language for organizations seeking increased funding in future years.

The board’s votes also included procedural directions: several reductions were passed by motion; staff were directed to send formal letters to affected organizations explaining the revised funding and conditions and to prepare a checklist and MOU template for future requests.