BRITTON COUNCIL APPROVES BUDGET, SUPPLEMENTS

    The Britton City Council met on Monday night to address a wide range of business. (A separate story on our website covers Councilman Jerome Marlow’s resignation from the board.)
    Marshall County Auditor Megan Biel joined the meeting via Zoom to discuss upcoming election requirements. Under recent South Dakota legislation, municipalities must now hold their elections in even-numbered years on either the June primary date or the November general election date. Biel revisited an earlier conversation and asked whether the city wished to hold its possible 2026 election in conjunction with the county, and if so, which date it preferred. She noted that any additional costs beyond the county’s usual expenses would be assessed to the city and school district, as the entities would share ballots, election workers and related costs. The council voted to approve an agreement to hold the election with the county in June, contingent on an election being needed.
    Two budget ordinances received second readings. Ordinance 625, the 2025 Supplemental Budget, reflects updated adjustments across several departments and was partially changed from the version last month. The total supplement decreased from $839,000 at first reading to approximately $763,000. See the published ordinance in this week’s paper for more information.
    Ordinance 626, the 2026 Appropriations Ordinance, remained unchanged from its first reading. Mayor Clyde Fredrickson commented that the city will need to sell some assets this year to help balance the budget but cautioned that such measures are not sustainable long term. “We have to do things that will reduce expenses,” he said. He expressed concern about certain parts of the budget, including the library, and suggested that in the future the library may need to seek additional private funding for what he described as a nonessential but valued service. Library Director Sonya Lang noted that the library’s programming and necessary staffing contribute to its budget, and pointed out that the Friends of the Library group is already engaged in private fundraising.
    The proposed 2026 expense budget totals $2,076,060, up from $1,948,142 the previous year, an increase of about 6.5 percent. The ordinance was approved.
    In other ordinance business, the council approved the second reading of Ordinance 624, which updates the city’s tree ordinance. The revisions clarify that abutting property owners are responsible for removing limbs from sidewalks and boulevards and add penalties for dragging debris into streets. Ordinances 624 and 626 are also published in this week’s paper. 
    The council also discussed its sales tax reimbursement policy, which refunds 2 percent city sales tax for machinery purchases over $20,000 made by commercial or industrial entities. The current program caps annual reimbursement at $3,000 and is cost-neutral to the city because payments come from state remittance rather than local funds. Finance Officer Jennifer Athey noted that one business has now reached the reimbursement limit. Mayor Fredrickson said keeping the cap “is a disincentive to bring business to Britton.” Some audience members questioned why only larger businesses should benefit when they may already have the resources to cover the costs. After discussion, the council voted to remove the $3,000 cap. Marlow voted ‘nay’ on the measure.
    A discussion was held on drainage issues along 16th Avenue. Homeowners in the area have reported ongoing problems. Fredrickson emphasized that the city had not ignored concerns. “We did do research on it. We did not ignore them,” he said. Athey added that from August through September, the city spent over $500 on engineering assessments related to the matter.
    The council also reviewed estimates for a citywide water meter project. Replacing every meter, regardless of size, would cost approximately $428,000. Replacing only 5/8 inch and one-inch residential meters would total around $371,000. The council approved financing for the project up to $375,000. In a related action, $35,000 was transferred from the general fund to the water fund to offset increased BDM water rates and past meter purchases.
    The city plans to send letters to residents reminding them to trim trees and shrubs encroaching into alleys. If property owners do not comply, the city will complete the work and assess the cost back to them.
    Holiday bonuses of $250 were approved for full-time city employees and library staff. Marlow suggested that, because taxpayer dollars fund the bonuses, they should be provided as Britton Bucks to support local businesses. The council agreed.
    In other action, the council approved donating a family pool pass for American Legion Bingo, granted a special liquor license for Snapper’s for an event at the Britton Event Center, and approved the NECOG Joint Cooperative Agreement.