Priorities
These priorities are grounded in documented public record — not talking points. Every issue on this page is supported by audit reports, commission minutes, or state and federal records that any resident can verify.
A note on what commissioners actually do
Custer County Commissioners set the county budget, approve appropriations, oversee county departments, respond to state auditors, and establish policy for how county government operates. They do not directly set property tax rates — those are driven largely by levies, state formula, and school district funding. What commissioners do control is how every dollar collected is spent, whether spending stays within legal limits, and whether the county is positioned to pursue outside funding that reduces pressure on local taxpayers. That is exactly where this campaign is focused.
Financial Accountability and Audit Reform
Custer County has received repeat audit findings across four consecutive biennial audit cycles, with reports covering the years 2016 through 2023. The findings include cash reconciliation failures, county expenditures exceeding legal appropriations, and failure to file required annual financial reports. In every cycle, county management declined to formally respond to auditors.
This is not a minor bookkeeping issue. Spending beyond approved appropriations is a violation of South Dakota law. Failure to file required financial reports leaves the public without the basic transparency they are owed. And the absence of any management response signals an institutional culture that does not take oversight seriously.
Eight years of the same findings is not bad luck. It is a pattern — and patterns require deliberate correction, not continued silence. Every audit report referenced on this page is publicly available at legislativeaudit.sd.gov
What I will do
- Demand a formal corrective action plan for every repeat audit finding, with assigned accountability and a completion timeline.
- Require management to formally respond to auditors — something that has not happened in eight years.
- Advocate for internal controls over cash reconciliation and appropriations tracking that meet basic compliance standards.
- Ensure required annual financial reports are filed on time, every year, as the law requires.
- Report publicly on audit finding status at regular commission meetings so residents can track progress.
4 Consecutive Cycles
The same findings repeated across four audit cycles — 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2023 — with no formal management response in any cycle.
Illegal Overspending
Custer County expenditures exceeded approved appropriations — a violation of South Dakota law — cited in multiple consecutive audits.
Missing Reports
Required annual financial reports have gone unfiled in multiple audit cycles, in violation of SDCL 7-10-4 — leaving the public and state oversight bodies without complete records
Zero Responses
County management has never formally responded to a single audit finding across eight years of repeat violations.
Federal Grant Readiness and FEMA Compliance
In March 2026, the Qury Fire burned over 7,000 acres in Custer County and forced mandatory evacuations. Governor Rhoden secured a FEMA Fire Management Assistance Grant — making federal reimbursement available for firefighting and emergency costs. This is exactly the kind of funding that reduces the financial burden on county taxpayers.
But FEMA audits its grant recipients. Counties with weak internal controls, repeat audit findings, and unresolved financial compliance issues face scrutiny that can reduce reimbursements — or result in deobligation, meaning dollars already received must be paid back. Custer County's current audit posture puts that funding at risk.
Grant readiness is not abstract. It is the difference between recovering the maximum dollars our community is entitled to and leaving money on the table — or worse, having to return it.
What I will do
- Work to bring county finances into federal compliance standards required for FEMA and other grant programs.
- Establish formal commissioner liaisons to the Sheriff's Office and fire departments to coordinate grant identification and applications.
- Pursue every funding opportunity Custer County is entitled to — including FEMA Hazard Mitigation, AFG equipment grants, and state pass-through programs.
- Advocate for dedicated grant research capacity so the county is not missing opportunities it doesn't know exist.
Qury Fire — March 2026
9,000+ acres burned. FEMA Fire Management Assistance Grant approved. Maximum reimbursement requires clean financial posture.
FEMA Deobligation Risk
Counties with repeat audit findings face federal scrutiny. Unresolved compliance issues can reduce reimbursements or trigger clawbacks.
Up to $1.28M Available
FEMA Hazard Mitigation funds are available following the grant approval. The state has 90 days to apply. Compliance matters.
Budget Transparency and Responsible Spending
Custer County's 2026 budget totals $13,037,867 — a 1% increase over 2025. Fees and levies have increased consistently in recent years. Meanwhile, delinquent tax real estate listings jumped from 172 in 2024 to 392 in 2025 — a 128% increase — suggesting real financial pressure on county residents.
Commissioners do not directly set property tax rates, which are driven largely by state formula and levy structures. But commissioners control how every dollar collected is budgeted, appropriated, and spent. They set fees. They approve expenditures. They decide whether the county lives within its means — legally and responsibly.
When spending exceeds appropriations year after year with no public explanation, residents have every right to ask why their costs keep rising while financial controls keep failing.
What I will do
- Require plain-language budget summaries that residents can actually read and understand — not just line items in a spreadsheet.
- Hold spending strictly within approved appropriations — no exceptions, no repeat violations.
- Scrutinize fee increases with the same rigor applied to any other budget decision — justification required, not assumed.
- Support development of a formal budget policy with transparent timelines and public-facing documentation, as recommended by Legislative Audit.
- Report regularly to residents on budget performance, not just at annual hearings.
$13M Budget
The 2026 adopted budget is $13,037,867 — up from prior years — with public safety accounting for over $2.6 million.
128% Jump in Delinquent Taxes
Delinquent real estate tax listings rose from 172 in 2024 to 392 in 2025 — a sign of growing financial pressure on residents.
Spending Within the Law
Expenditures exceeding appropriations is not a technicality — it is a violation of state law. It must stop, and it must be documented when it happens.
Creating Conditions for Growth
Custer County has real assets — natural beauty, tourism, a strong sense of community, and proximity to one of the most visited regions in the country. Economic growth that benefits residents — not just seasonal visitors — requires a stable, well-managed local government as its foundation.
Businesses and employers considering the Black Hills region look at local governance. They look at financial stability, infrastructure investment, and whether a community is positioned to access the grant funding that supports workforce development and public services. A county with eight years of unresolved audit findings, and a 45-year law enforcement partnership ended in a single unanimous vote, sends the wrong signal.
I am pro-growth — but sustainable growth starts with getting the basics right. A county that manages its finances responsibly, maintains strong public safety partnerships, and pursues every available dollar of outside funding is a county that can compete for investment and opportunity.
What I will do
- Support the Custer Area Economic Development Corporation and county efforts to attract responsible economic investment.
- Advocate for workforce development partnerships that benefit county residents — not just seasonal employment.
- Work to restore and maintain a good-faith working relationship between the county and the City of Custer — cooperation serves both communities.
- Ensure county government operates in a way that makes Custer County a place businesses and families want to invest in for the long term.
Stable Government Attracts Investment
Financial accountability and clean audits are not just compliance requirements — they signal to businesses and grant agencies that Custer County is a reliable partner.
City-County Cooperation
A functional relationship between the county and City of Custer benefits every resident. The current breakdown serves no one.
Outside Funding Reduces Local Burden
Every federal or state grant dollar that comes into the county is a dollar that doesn't have to come from local taxpayers. Grant readiness is economic development.