People try to live within their income so they can afford to pay taxes to a government that can’t live within its income.”

(Robert Half)

As the property-owning folks of Alcester city have recently found, Mayor Tom Glas and his minion FO Pat Jurrens have found a way to rob the poor to give to the incompetently managed Alcester city budget!

January 2006, a restricted second penny sales tax went into effect:

This second penny sales tax was restricted to be, “…earmarked, set aside, and restricted to the funding of Capital Improvements within and for the City of Alcester, Union County, South Dakota. 

Mayor Glas and Finance Officer Pat Jurrens ignored this ordinance so they could take moneys from the restricted second penny sales tax for equipment.

Now they have redirected the second penny sales tax to fund equipment purchases;

• created a special assessment at a rate of $1.00 per frontage foot
• failed to specify in detail the need and scope of the project for which the funds are needed (proposed resolution of necessity) Proposed Resolution of Necessity

Source SDML, South Dakota Municipal League, Guide to Special Assessments (http://www.sdmunicipalleague.org/vertical/Sites/%7B2540DC39-A742-459F-8CAF-7839ECF21E89%7D/uploads/SDML_Guide_to_Special_Assessments_Updated.pdf )

Since it appears the finance officer failed to follow the musts in this document, it is my belief the resolution for special assessment is void!

Contact the Alcester City Mayor Tom Glass 934-2188, Contact Alcester Finance Officer Pat Jurrens at 934-2851 or your Ward representative and give them your opinion of their special assessment!

“In levying taxes and in shearing sheep it is well to stop when you get down to the skin”

(Austin O’Malley)