The Fall River County Emergency Manager is accepting applications for an assistant. Duties will include writing reports, data gathering, resource tracking, answering phones, attending meetings, taking and processing minutes, attending training on subjects pertaining to emergency management.  Should have a good working knowledge of computers, Microsoft word, excel, and publisher, ability to work with individuals under stress or irritation. Ability to work in all kinds of weather and under varying, sometimes dangerous, conditions. Must have a valid South Dakota Driver’s license. $14/hour starting wage. Open until filled. Submit applications to Fall River County Auditor’s Office at 906 N River St, Hot Springs SD 57747. See full description here.

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Admin Assistant/Assessor:  The Fall River County Director of Equalization is accepting applications for an Administrative Assistant to receive training to become a certified assessor. This position involves performing field inspections of properties, including gathering and listing information, entering data, uploading photos and doing sketches of all properties. Also, assisting with other various day to day office activities. Qualifications include strong computer skills, the ability to read legal descriptions and maps, and experience in customer service and good public relations skills. A background in finance, property appraisal, real estate, or construction is beneficial but not required. The requirements include: a high school diploma (college degree preferred), the ability to gain the South Dakota CAA certification within one year, a valid driver’s license. The starting wage is $12-$14/hour depending on experience, there is a $2/hour raise upon certification. Benefits include paid health, vision and dental insurance; vacation, sick and personal leave and South Dakota State Retirement. Submit applications to the Fall River County Director of Equalization office, 1029 N. River St, Hot Springs, SD. Closing May 2nd. 

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The Fall River County Sheriff’s Office is accepting applications for a county deputy. Candidates must be able to think and act quickly under pressure; remain calm in stressful situations; demonstrate ethical behavior; pass a background and drug test; be physically able to perform job functions.

Starting wage is $21.50/hour uncertified or $23.50-$24.50/hour certified DOE. Training and certification provided and required for continued employment.  Shifts may vary and may include weekend, overnight and holiday hours.  Benefits include paid health & dental insurance; vacation, holiday, and sick leave; and South Dakota Retirement. Submit Law Enforcement Applications to the Sheriff’s Office, 906 N. River St., Hot Springs, SD. Position open until filled.

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Property owners may be shocked when they see the value on their 2022 assessment notice which have been mailed out. The market value of real estate, on which assessments are based, increased significantly this year. Information on these increases can be found on the county website here.

First, we want to remind our citizens that an increase in your value does not mean an equal increase in your taxes.  As values increase mill levies are reduced. In fact, entities such as counties, cities, fire districts, etc. are limited by law to how much they can increase their budget within a year, thus requiring them to reduce mill levies on years such as this.

Still, our office is expecting a high volume of owners wanting to meet and discuss their new value. We will contact owners in the order they have contacted the office. Showing up in person does not allow you to jump the queue, so to avoid a wasted trip we highly suggest calling ahead to schedule an appointment, 605-745-5136 or [email protected].

Beyond value, if you bought, sold, or platted property between Nov 1^st, 2020 and Nov 1^st, 2021 it is especially important to review the legal description and acreage to ensure property was correctly transferred by our office. All owners should also check that their property is classified as Agricultural or Owner-occupied if they have applied for those reductions. Click here for article on what to check on your assessment notice.

So, what happens if I call?  First, our assessors will review your property with you to ensure that there are no mistakes in our data. Second, they will provide you with sales of similar structures within your area to show that you are at market value. If a mistake is found or if there is an issue or unique situation with your property that would lower it’s market value the assessor can provide a corrected value. If the assessor does not feel that they can adjust the value the property owner can file an appeal to speak to the Board of Equalization. The appeal form must be filed by March 17, 2022 for the three LOCAL BOARDS (Argentine Township, Provo Township, and City of Oelrichs), and April 5, 2022 for the rest of the County. Values from this assessment notice will be used to determine tax bills in Jan 2023.  You will not be able to appeal your tax bill at that time only your value now.

If all the property values went up, is it worth my time to call? We never want to discourage people from calling; if you have questions call us. However, a couple considerations:  If your property increased less than your neighborhood average it is less likely there is something we can do for you. Also, if you purchased the property this last year and your purchase price is still higher than your assessed value chances are very low that we can make adjustments.

Owners of commercial property have the additional option of providing income information for a property for our office to do an income-based assessment. Call for more information.

A reminder that there are tax reduction programs available for various low income and disabled groups. Information is available on our website here, or you can speak to our office or, for veterans, to the Veteran Service Officer.

We have included a Building Notification Form, the green sheet, with all the Assessment Notices. Please use this form ONLY if you have made any changes to structures on your property. You may also come into the DOE office, call or go online to complete this form.

If you do not receive an assessment notice in the mail by the 2^nd week of March please contact of our office. We can print one for you to pick up or send a new original copy in the mail.