SD election roundup: Rapid City’s new mayor, Mitchell’s new athletic facilities, wastewater nuisance vote

South Dakotans across the state cast ballots in local government elections Tuesday, making decisions that will decide the trajectory of their cities and schools in years to come.

Elections included Rapid City’s mayoral race — where South Dakota’s second largest city will be led by a new mayor for the first time in eight years — plus ballot measures in Mitchell and a vote about wastewater discharge in Custer County.

Rapid City’s new mayor

Jason Salamun — an Air Force veteran, former banking executive and executive pastor at a Rapid City church — won the five-way race for Rapid City’s mayor with 32% of the vote, according to the Secretary of State’s election results. The city will not have a runoff election.

The website flags the race results as a possible recount, since runner-up Laura B. Armstrong earned 30% of the vote — 269 votes fewer than Salamun, who earned nearly 4,900 of the 15,425 votes cast. Turnout was 31%, according to the Pennington County Auditor’s Office.

Salamun’s campaign prioritized safer neighborhoods, the Rapid City Journal reported. He served on the Rapid City Council from 2016 to 2019, decided against running for reelection in 2018, but won a city council race again in 2020. Salamun’s term begins on July 3 at the Rapid City Council meeting.

Outgoing Mayor Steve Allender was elected in 2015 and is the second-longest continuously serving mayor in the city’s history. He decided not to run for reelection this year after 40 years in public service, including serving as the city’s police chief.

Mitchell approves school bond, selling park lots

Mitchell voters had a consequential ballot on Tuesday, voting on school board members and ballot questions as well as city council members and a municipal initiated measure.

Voters resoundingly approved a $17 million bond to build new athletic facilities as part of the new Mitchell High School construction with an 82% vote, according to the Mitchell Republic. 

The improvements include three new gymnasiums, a new wrestling/competitive dance room, new locker rooms and a weight room.

An initiated measure to change Mitchell city ordinance to allow the sale of city-owned park land at Lake Mitchell also passed with just over 56% of the vote, the Mitchell Republic reported. The sales will help fund water-quality improvements to the city’s municipal lake, which has an algae problem and increased levels of phosphorus due in part to agricultural runoff from Firesteel Creek into the lake.

State law requires that if park land is no longer to be used for park purposes, a public vote is required to approve changing the use of that park land.

Custer County voters declare wastewater discharge in creek a nuisance

Custer County voters decided with a 56% vote to declare the discharge of treated wastewater from the city of Custer’s wastewater treatment plant into French Creek or its tributaries a nuisance. 1,410 voters turned out for the decision.

The nuisance is the latest move by the Preserve French Creek group to prevent the city from relocating its discharge from Flynn Creek to French Creek. The relocation is part of the city’s ongoing wastewater treatment plan upgrades, the Custer County Chronicle reports.

But the nuisance vote might not change any plans and could end up in court, county officials predict. The state has already permitted the project.

More local election results

Find results from some other elections across the state here:

• Hermosa backyard chickens
• Pierre School Board
• Stanley County School Board
• Rapid City School Board
• Rapid City Council
• Hill City Council
• Custer Mayor and City Council
• Lake Andes Central School Board
• Vermillion School Board
• Mitchell City Council
• Mitchell School Board
• Agar-Blunt-Onida School Board