Good evening, everyone, and thank you for being here tonight. My name is Daryl Christensen, and I’m running for District 9 Senate.

First of all, I want to thank the organizers of this forum and all of you who took the time to come out and be involved. Strong communities depend on informed and engaged citizens, and your presence here matters.

My wife and I live at Wall Lake. We have three grown daughters with families of their own and are blessed to have 9 grandchildren.

I’m running because I believe our community deserves leadership that is accessible, accountable, and focused on practical solutions. We need responsible growth assisting with affordability and property tax reduction / fostering education funding that will enhance student outcomes, teacher recruitment and retention, and physical plant needs. We need continued efforts to support law enforcement and first responders to keep our communities safe and strong. I believe in listening first, working hard, and treating people with respect — even when we may disagree.

My background in business, agriculture, education and public service has taught me the importance of responsibility, common sense, and standing up for the values that make our community strong.

Understanding that property taxes are the primary local funding source, especially for schools, I have some areas that I would like to open up discussion on. I wouldn’t say these are reforms or a plan at this point, but rather thoughts. 

I would like to discuss the possibility of limits and on how fast increases can take place in a single year unless the property is sold or substantially improved. Residents have told me that they are seeing assessed values rising faster than their wages or retirement income can keep up with. The transparency in such matters would alert the tax payer as to plans and why. I believe schools are already better at this than government, but regardless, information is always good. Maybe a phased in approach to an assessment increase could be possible and would alleviate sudden tax increase shocks and lead to a better understanding as to why need for the increase. 

Things to consider may include:

• Prioritizing owner-occupied reductions over across the board cuts

• Expanded relief for seniors and the disabled… there are some reductions in place than can currently be requested for disabled and veterans

• More stable school funding resulting in expected increases to funding

• Responsible limits on opt outs

•  Encourage growth to pay for growth and add to the revenue base

• Giving the taxpayer predictability

• Allowing our local communities to make gowth decisions and not tying their hands with big government in Pierre

• Adjust unfunded mandates to the counties   

First of all, I believe there were some guardrails put in place by the past legislative session. A TIF is the one tool that local entities have to offer incentives to particular projects. School funding formulas are held harmless in matters of the TIF. There is no cost shift to the consumer or the residents. Each community and its leaders are going to use a tool such as a TIF in a manner that they believe is correct for them and the community they represent. TIF’s are used as a tool of local control. I believe we as a community know what’s best for us and I really don’t believe you want the State interfering in local control issues. That would likely be a stumbling block to your local leadership. I think the main question surrounding a potential TIF i: 

• What is the quality of jobs that may be coming from the use of this TIF?

• What do these jobs pay?

• Would this project be essential to attracting young families enabling them to buy homes?

• How would our school(s) benefit from this growth?

• And…Will we not be able to land this opportunity without using this incentive?

We must get a handle on recidivism. The current numbers are extremely high and cannot be ignored. Nothing else matters if our families, communities, and our homes are not safe. I will always back the blue because it has hit home. Funding is a necessity that cannot be ignored. So I am going to support it. I will be consistent with this approach. We have a luxury of being a highly ranked state in the area of low taxes overall. I get it as it does not feel like it always. But it could be so much worse. If you have a service that you can live without. Please share that with me. I ask the question a lot with no response. That’s because we are being offered the necessities that we deem important to us. I will say it many times, Affordability is attained thru appropriate business and industry growth. That expands the tax base and will lighten the load on our primary residences.

There certainly can be challenges for smaller communities to supply the necessary infrastructure to support growth until the tax base can catch up. These are tools already in place that your community leaders are like aware of and using them to assist you currently. The State of South Dakota is supporting in a number of these programs currently for just these necessary services. Some of the options available include:

• Federal Grant Programs for:

• Street and Sidewalks

• Sewer and Water

• Community Facilities

• Accessibility projects

• Public Safety Facilities

• In a smaller State like South Dakota, these are often attainable By working with the State rather than H.U.D.

• USDA Rural Development Programs: Rural Roads, Waste Water systems, Ambulance and Fire Equipment, Broadband infrastructure and Community Facilities

• Federal Highways Programs and the State DOT

• Arterial Roads, Bridge Replacement, Safety Improvements, Rural Transportation Grants and Traffiic Control Systems

• FEMA Fire and EMS Grants are very important to Fire Departments and EMS Services I believe they are referred to as AFGs (Assistance to Firefighters Grants)

• Community Block Grant Programs aka

• Community Development Block Grants (CDBG)

• USDA Rural Development Programs

• I could go on and on but there are a number of partnership programs

I will not drag my feet on this issue. I will dig in to find real solutions.

I, like many South Dakotans, support economic development and energy infrastructure. I also believe strongly that private property rights are foundational and they need to be guarded by using a balanced approach to responsible growth. There will be instances where the decision should be made by how many people will benefit by responsible growth and is it for the good of community. Energy will continue to be a priority as we are all consumers. I feel that we have an advantage In Hartford and the surrounding area being served by Sioux Valley Energy. They have and continue to deliver a reliable product and are transparent about the costs and why they are what they are. I believe we have reasonable right of ways for a good part of our distribution systems. The future will have new needs depending upon growth. Growth and the types of growth businesses will be determined by their needs. We have a tradition of a strong PUC. We need to maintain those traditions and lead responsibly so that our children have the resources they need into the future.

I believe the prison has been open and transparent with the work of the task force who brought forth the project. Public information and the record of the same will serve as a guide for its trust and gives the public a road map for transparency. There is also transparency in many ways thru the Bureau of Finance and Managements web page. A citizen can use that resource to get a good baseline of how money is budgeted and expenditures made. The South Dakota transparency system has had favorable rankings in the past. Most importantly, you need to have accessibility to your legislators to ask questions of them and for them to have the desire to find answers or outlets that you as a taxpayer get an answer. My desire would be for you to have access to as many tools on the portal as possible while having the assurance that contact can be made with your Legislators and an answer will be forthcoming. Transparency is of the utmost importance. Trust is so valuable.

First of all, I believe that is a shared responsibility. What I mean is that the State needs to become more consistent with its funding practices in the expected increases to school funding. This would give school boards and administration an opportunity to be in front of the expected needs and able to avoid many last minute choices as to what is staying, going, or changes to the same. This is critical to the delivery of services and having the staff in place to do so. This would possibly reduce the number of opt outs which I believe creates a lot of consternation with the tax payer due to highly fluctuating tax assessments. I will listen to teachers, administrators and parents. It is also imperative that we respect the local control of our schools.

 The next budget cycle is likely going to be an even tighter budget. So far we are seeing less sales tax revenue due to an uncertainty in our own business climate. Yet another reason for a pro-business legislature. Affordability is about people keeping more of their earnings in their pockets and let business growth pay the tax burden to a greater extent.

“Thank you all for being here tonight and for caring enough to engage in the future of our communities and our state.

I believe South Dakota’s strength comes from responsible government, strong families, thriving local communities, and respect for the people who built this state. As we grow, we must protect our chosen way of life, improve transparency in government spending, and ensure taxpayer dollars are used wisely and openly.

We need practical solutions that support infrastructure, roads, schools, public safety, and affordable property taxes without losing the values that make our rural communities strong. That means balancing economic growth and energy development with fairness for landowners and long-term stewardship of our land and resources.

I also believe we must continue supporting students, families, educators, and those who serve our communities every day — from law enforcement and first responders to farmers, workers, and small business owners.

The future of South Dakota should be guided by common sense, accountability, and service to others. I would be honored to earn your trust and your support. Thank you and good night.