City of Yankton asks county to transfer $500,000 from E-911 fund; commission postpones action

Lisa Yardley, City of Yankton finance officer, asked the Yankton County Commission on Dec. 16 for a $500,000 cash transfer from the county’s E‑911 surcharge fund to help cover dispatch operating costs and to reduce anticipated general-fund transfers in 2026.

Yardley told the commission the county’s E‑911 cash balance was $551,138 as of Nov. 30 and that the state’s 2024 increase in the E‑911 surcharge (from $1.25 to $2.00 per line) has produced roughly $250,000 of additional annual revenue. She said the city’s dispatch expenditures so far this year had exceeded collections and projected a general-fund transfer of about $621,000 for 2026.

Commissioners thanked the city for operating the dispatch center and raised two issues before any transfer could proceed: state law restricts how surcharge funds can be used (they must be spent on 9‑1‑1-related expenses) and the county’s agenda-advertising/notice rules. Because the item had not been properly amended on the agenda at the start of the meeting, the board agreed the transfer request should be taken up at the Dec. 29 special meeting (advertising and late-claim procedures were discussed). A commissioner noted the county must supplement its internal budgets even when a transfer is recorded because the E‑911 fund is a restricted, purpose-specific fund.

Why it matters: The request would move a large restricted fund balance from a county account into city operations (a transfer rather than a reallocation) and has implications for transparency, statutory compliance and county budget planning. Commissioners said they support dispatch operations but insisted on following notice rules and clarifying statutory uses before approving a transfer.

What’s next: The city and county will include the transfer as a budget supplement and present it at the Dec. 29 special meeting and the Jan. 6 advertising process so the commission can vote with proper public notice and legal review.