Title 7 — COUNTIES

A petition signed by fifteen percent of the registered voters of each of two or more adjoining counties of this state, based upon the total number of registered voters at the last preceding general election, requesting the formation of a committee to study the question of changin…

The board of county commissioners in each of two or more adjoining counties may, on the boards' own initiative, create a committee to study changing the boundary lines or the consolidation of two or more counties by a resolution passed by a majority vote of each of the participat…

The composition of the study committee organized under § 7-2-1 or 7-2-1.1 must be prescribed in the petition or resolution, but the study committee must include two members of the board of county commissioners from each affected county and at least one resident from each incorpor…

The study committee must submit a final report to the board of county commissioners of each affected county within one hundred and eighty days after the study committee is created. The study committee shall consider and include in the report: (1) The fiscal impact of the proposed…

When the report and the map have been received by the board of county commissioners for each of the affected counties, each board must, at their regular July meeting following the presentation of the report, provide that the study committee's county consolidation plan be submitte…

At the next general election after the proclamation by the Governor, the voters of the consolidated county shall elect one set of county officers for the new county. Source: SL 1893, ch 45 , § 13; RPolC 1903, § 787; RC 1919, § 5766; SDC 1939, § 12.0309; SL 2024, ch 26 , § 13.

The new county is entitled to the same number of members in the Legislature that the counties had in the aggregate before consolidation, and such number must be elected at each general election until a new apportionment. Source: SL 1893, ch 45 , § 13; RPolC 1903, § 787; RC 1919, …

After consolidation, the property of each of the consolidated counties is the property of the new county. Source: SL 1893, ch 45 , §§ 11, 12; RPolC 1903, §§ 785, 786; RC 1919, §§ 5764, 5765; SDC 1939, § 12.0308; SL 1943, ch 24 , § 2; SL 2024, ch 26 , § 15.

Any debt contracted by the former counties that comprise the new county may only be paid from taxes levied on property that was part of the territory of the former county as it was when it contracted the debt. The board of county commissioners of the new county may, by ordinance …

If the area of any county in this state has been altered by the changing of the boundaries and the county's commissioners do not run at large, the board of county commissioners, at the first regular meeting thereafter, shall establish commissioner districts in the county. The boa…

Whenever the boundaries of a county have been changed, it shall be the duty of the board of county commissioners at once to secure a full, true, and complete transcript of such records of the original county as may relate to or in any manner affect the property rights or interest…

Where the boundaries of two or more counties have been changed, pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, and the county or counties from which area has been detached has indebtedness charged against such detached area, all levies of taxes, and special assessments, theretofore …

In any case where a municipality in this state is so situated that its boundaries extend into, and its area is a part of two or more adjoining counties of the state, the governing body of such municipality shall, upon petition signed by fifteen percent of the voters of such munic…

If a majority of the voters of such municipality are in favor of the change, the auditor or clerk of such municipality, shall certify the result of such election to the county auditor of each county affected, and thereupon the county commissioners of each of such counties shall, …

The question to be submitted at the general election in each county affected, shall be substantially in the following form: Shall the boundaries of ________ county be changed to exclude "or include, as the case may be," that part of ________ county lying within the corporate limi…

Repealed by SL 1985, ch 15 , § 3.

The auditor of each of the affected counties shall give thirty days' notice of the election by publishing the notice once each week for at least two consecutive weeks prior to the election in the official newspapers of the county. The notice must provide the election date, the ho…

If at any election held under the provisions of this chapter, a majority of all the votes cast at the election in each of the affected counties are in favor of consolidation of two or more counties or the changing of the boundary lines of named counties, they must be declared con…

Within thirty days after the canvassing of the returns of the election, the county auditor of each of the affected counties shall transmit a certified report of the canvass to the Governor who shall, within twenty days after receiving the report of the canvass, proclaim the resul…

The consolidation or change of boundaries takes effect on the first day of January following the general election of the county officers for the consolidated county pursuant to § 7-2-10 , or as otherwise set forth in the study committee's county consolidation plan. Source: SL 189…

7-2-7 Name of consolidated county. 7-2-8 Commissioner election in consolidated county--First election after consolidation. 7-2-9 Continuation of officer terms after consolidation. 7-2-10 First election of county officers after consolidation. 7-2-11 Legislative representation of c…

The name of a new county formed pursuant to this chapter must be the name set forth in the study committee's county consolidation plan. Source: SL 1893, ch 45 , § 7; RPolC 1903, § 781; RC 1919, § 5760; SDC 1939, § 12.0304; SL 2024, ch 26 , § 10.

The board of county commissioners of each of the counties comprising the newly consolidated county shall, after the proclamation of consolidation by the Governor, meet in joint session at the county seat of the county that had the largest population before consolidation on the fi…

The county officers in each of the counties that have been consolidated shall continue to act in their respective counties until the officers of the new county are elected and qualified. Source: SL 1893, ch 45 , § 16; RPolC 1903, § 790; RC 1919, § 5769; SDC 1939, § 12.0311; SL 20…