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HB1245

Local Tax for City Building Projects

Last scannedAug 25, 2026, 3:29 AM

In one sentence

This law lets cities in South Dakota create a new tax to pay for building and fixing public property if voters approve it.

What it does

  • Requires municipalities to form a five-member board to review plans for the new tax before they go to voters.
  • Allows municipalities to charge up to one percent on sales as a gross receipts tax.
  • Mandates that at least sixty percent of voting residents must support the tax in an election.
  • Limits how money from this tax can be spent, such as buying land or building roads owned by the city.
  • Sets rules for when the tax starts and ends based on time limits or funding goals.

Who it affects

  • Cities that want to build new public projects
  • Residents who vote on whether to start the tax
  • Businesses in cities where this tax is approved

Limits and unknowns

  • Cities cannot start this tax if they collected money from the same type of tax in the last two years.
  • The law does not say exactly when it takes effect because that date is blank in the official text.
  • This rule only applies to cities, not counties or school districts directly.

Plain language

Terms to know

Gross receipts tax
A fee charged based on the total amount of money a business collects from sales.
Capital improvement board
A group of five people who review and approve plans for city building projects before voters decide.

Official record

Sources

Source attached

Official summary

authorize municipalities to establish a local funding mechanism for capital improvement projects.

Official activity

Bill history

  1. Signed by the Governor