Yankton County celebrates payoff of Courthouse and Safety Center bond; sheriff says jail brings revenue

The Yankton County Commission celebrated the final payment on the $8,000,000 bond for the county Courthouse and Safety Center during its Nov. 4 meeting.

Sheriff Dave Hunoff, who addressed the commission, called the occasion “with great pride and gratitude,” and said the payment marks the completion of a project that began with a bond voters approved in 2005. “It is with great pride and gratitude that we gather here today to celebrate an incredible milestone for Yankton County, the complete payoff of the Yankton County Courthouse and Safety Center in 2025,” Hunoff said.

Hunoff described the facility’s size and role, saying the jail has a capacity of up to 136 inmates and has supplemented the county budget through charges for other-agency holds. He reported that the jail had generated more than $1,079,715 in revenue through September 2025 and additional hold revenue of about $45,658 from surrounding agencies.

Former officials and commissioners also spoke, noting that the courthouse and related public-buildings program followed earlier voter-supported projects. Commissioner Dan and others said the jail’s operations have produced significant non-tax revenue, and Dan called it “probably been the biggest revenue producer the county’s ever had.”

Chair John Bark cautioned that the payoff will not immediately remove the levy from property-tax bills because taxes are collected in arrears: the last bond payment will be made in December, but the levy will still appear on next year’s tax statements.

No formal action was required beyond the recognition and photo opportunity; the commission moved on to other agenda items after remarks and thanks to those involved in planning and construction.

Ending note: County leaders said the payoff reflects two decades of planning and partnerships with the City of Yankton and local voters.