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Deuel County Board of Equalization approves exemptions, assessment freezes and cuts in several appeals
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Summary
At a special April 14 meeting, the Deuel County Board of Equalization approved multiple owner-occupied and tax-exempt filings, instructed adjustments for elderly/disabled freezes and disabled-veteran exemptions, approved flooded farmland and renewable-energy exemptions, and reduced assessments in five appeals.
The Deuel County Board of Equalization met in special session April 14 and approved a series of property tax status changes, exemptions and assessment adjustments affecting dozens of parcels, the board said.
Director of Equalization Deborah Meguire presented the agenda and the board took the Oath of Office under SDCL 10-11-25 before reviewing a range of property-tax items. Commissioner Scott Fieber moved, seconded by Harry Mewherter, to approve seven owner-occupied applications received after March 1, 2026, and to remove owner-occupied status from three properties without an application or with owner-occupied status in another county; the motion carried.
The board approved the published 2026 property tax-exempt list on a motion by Judith Homan, seconded by Harry Mewherter, and agreed to accept one exempt application received after the November 1 deadline. Commissioners also voted to extend the exempt application deadline to April 30 for one cemetery parcel.
Treasurer Jennifer Mewherter reported 51 applications for the Elderly and Disabled Assessment Freeze, 50 of which were approved and one denied; eight were new applicants. The board instructed the Director of Equalization to adjust property values for all properties approved for the 2026 assessment freeze.
On Disabled Veteran exemptions, the board reviewed 20 applications, seven of them new and four received after the cutoff date. Commissioner Harry Mewherter moved, seconded by Scott Fieber, to instruct the Director to adjust property values for properties approved for the Disabled Veteran exemption for 2026. Commissioner Judith Homan abstained; the motion carried. The transcript notes the exemption may apply to up to $200,000 of value for veterans rated permanently and totally disabled as a result of a service-connected disability.
The board approved eight Flooded Farmland applications submitted before the cutoff; staff reviewed program eligibility requirements, including the three-growing-season qualification, CRP exclusion and the Nov. 1 annual application deadline. Commissioners also approved a list of residential renewable-energy property tax exemptions (three new applications, seven eligible properties) on a motion by Fieber, seconded by Chairman Jay Grabow; the list is on file in the Director of Equalization Office.
Director Meguire reported no riparian buffer strip applications this year and reviewed program rules for eligible parcels.
The board handled a series of clerical corrections and record updates, including adding record #6218 for Brandi Brandsrud and approving changes for DK Overby LLP, Kerkvliet, Manley Perterson, Fieber Dairy, Pat Sears, Rolfsmeier and Magedanz; each motion was approved by the board.
The board also heard and decided five assessment appeals. For appeal E26-01 (Todd Knutson), the board lowered land NA-C on record #3470 from $472,497 to $271,672 and adjusted NA-C1 on #3471 from $401,240 to $314,094. Appeal E26-02 (Allen Gordon) resulted in NA-C1 of $474,672 and NA-C of $357,570 on record #3607. Appeal E26-03 (Ted Elverson) was adjusted after review of 2024 purchase price and appraisals, with NA-C1 reduced to $218,592 and corresponding NA-C adjustments. Appeal E26-04 (Monighan Creek Properties LLC) reduced land NA-C from $182,060 to $142,060 by roll call vote. Appeal E26-05 (Vicki Oswald) lowered NA-C1 to $313,610 while retaining NA-C at $363,459 for record #3469.
At 12:16 p.m. the board entered an executive session under SDCL 1-25-2(1) for personnel matters and reconvened at 12:31 p.m.; no action was taken in executive session. The meeting was then adjourned.
Votes at a glance: motions approving published tax-exempt list, owner-occupied late applications, clerical corrections, flooded farmland approvals, renewable-energy exemptions and the listed appeal adjustments were carried as recorded in the minutes. The board recorded a single abstention by Commissioner Judith Homan on the Disabled Veteran exemption adjustment motion.