Custer County's total budget grew from $8.9 million in 2019 to $13.0 million in 2026 — a 47% increase — while state auditors flagged the commission four consecutive years for violations of South Dakota law. Every figure below is sourced verbatim from official meeting minutes filed with the county.
These numbers are not estimates. Each figure was sourced from the verbatim text of official Custer County Commission meeting minutes.
| Year | Final Budget | Source (Meeting Date) | Verbatim Quote |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $8,887,083 | Sep 26, 2018 | "Total expense budget increased from $8,379,558 to $8,887,083" |
| 2020 | $9,917,739 | Sep 18, 2019 | "Adopted 2020" column total |
| 2022 | $11,045,150 | Sep 28, 2021 | "Total expenditures — $10,594,412.00 to $11,045,150.00" |
| 2023 | $11,976,018 | Sep 20, 2022 | "The 2023 budget is set at $11,976,018.76" |
| 2025 | $13,050,417 | Sep 25, 2024 | "The 2025 Final Budget amount is $13,050,417" |
| 2026 | $13,037,867 | Sep 17, 2025 | "the Final Budget is $13,037,867.00" |
While the budget expanded, the South Dakota Legislative Audit Bureau flagged Custer County repeatedly for violations of state financial law.
State auditors found that expenditures exceeded appropriations — meaning departments spent beyond what the commission formally authorized. The audit finding states: "The Board of County Commissioners did not properly monitor departmental budgets." The commission chose not to file a corrective action plan.
Annual financial reports were filed late, in violation of the statutory deadline requiring submission to the state. This occurred across multiple audit cycles.
County equipment purchases were made through Sourcewell contracts without proper competitive bidding compliance documentation, flagged as a procurement transparency violation.
All budget figures sourced from official meeting minutes PDFs, 2018–2026. Verbatim text quoted above. Available at custercountysd.com/commission-minutes/
Audit findings for Custer County covering SDCL 7-21-25 and 7-10-4 violations. Official state audit reports are the primary source for all audit violation citations on this page.
Commission minutes from each budget cycle document employee wage increases ranging from 3% to 8% annually across the same period. These increases are included in the total budget figures above and represent one of the primary drivers of the 47% overall growth.
A 47% county budget increase over seven years — compounded by state audit violations showing inadequate budget oversight — translates directly to property tax pressure on Custer County residents. South Dakota property owners have no vote on county budgets between elections. The commission has the authority and the obligation to explain these increases, respond to audit findings, and file corrective action plans. The record shows they have not.
The SEAL SD Command app lets you look up any Custer County official's voting record, audit history, and public statements. Free download at the link below.
Strengthen · Enhance · American · Liberty · South Dakota
sealsd.com/app · Free download · How We Source Our Data