Pennington County, SD - Government Administration

The official Facebook page of the County of Pennington, SD. Emergency information, job openings, events, news, photos and more. 9-1-1 Dispatch The Emergency Services Communications Center is a public safety answering point 911 Dispatch Badgeserving as the community's first line of contact with public safety authorities of Rapid City, Pennington County and Jackson County. Answering both 9-1-1 and non-emergency requests for law enforcement, fire and EMS and dispatching emergency responders for the sheriff's offices, police departments, fire departments and EMS agencies. Auditor's Office The Auditor’s Office is responsible for auditing all accounts and maintaining all financial records in and for Pennington County. This includes processing payroll, preparing the annual budget, establishing levies and apportioning of all tax collections. Monthly audits of all cash and cash items in the hands of the County Treasurer and a verification of bank account balances are performed. Annual Financial Reports are prepared indicating the receipts and expenditures, liabilities and equity, and assets of the County. Board of County Commissioners The Board of County Commissioners is the legislative and governing body of Pennington County, SD. The commission meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 9 a.m. in the Commission Chambers (County Administration Building, 130 Kansas City Street, Rapid City). During these public meetings, commissioners hear and vote on a variety of issues. Whether enacting ordinances and resolutions or approving budgets and expenditures, this board has the responsibility to provide for the safety and welfare of all Pennington County residents. Building and Grounds The Buildings & Grounds Department is responsible for operations and maintenance of all county facilities. It also coordinates planning and construction of existing and new facilities. Pennington County Emergency Management Emergency Management serves as the countywide agency for the purpose of overseeing the planning, response, recovery and mitigation of any and all major disasters/emergencies that occur within the county. Equalization The function of the office of the Equalization Department is to annually assess all taxable real property in Pennington County for property tax purposes. This office is responsible for the accurate assessment and inventory of approximately 53,000 parcels of property with a value of near $9 billion. This property assessment is the tax base for local government funding for Pennington County, Rapid City and other towns in the county, local school districts, organized townships within the county, and various other tax districts such as fire, water, and road districts. Fire Administration Pennington County Fire Administration provides the following services: Workman's compensation insurance, as directed by state law, to all volunteer firefighters in Pennington County. Vehicle liability insurance for all fire vehicles that are owned or co-owned by Pennington County and/or the local volunteer fire department. Assistance to Pennington County volunteer fire departments in the purchase of firefighting equipment, vehicles, training and other fire-related activities. Serves as a focal point for fire-related items (this may include, but is not limited to, administration, training, financial, public and/or news media relations, operations--both structural and wild land, and hazardous material.) Advises the Pennington County Board of Commissioners on fire-related activities. Acts as liaison among law enforcement agencies, state and national agencies, various other county officials and other fire departments. Health and Human Services Pennington County Health and Human Services consists of two different agencies; County Economic Assistance and Veteran's Service Office. Highway Department The Pennington County Highway Department is responsible for 837 miles of road and 139 bridges. In addition to routine repair and maintenance, this responsibility includes snow removal operations and major reconstruction projects. The Highway Superintendent administers this service with a workforce of 50 employees under the direction of the Pennington County Board of Commissioners. Human Resources The Human Resources Office functions as the centralized job application agent for all Pennington County Departments. This includes posting all available position openings, processing all applications received, and documenting equal employment opportunity and affirmative action statistics. Information Technology The Pennington County Information Technology Department provides a variety of services to County Departments to support the business needs of Pennington County. These services include consulting, system development, Internet, strategic planning, data center services, application support and network services. Planning and Zoning The Planning Department is responsible for the development and enforcement of Ordinances that regulate matters such as land use, construction activities, on-site wastewater treatment systems, public nuisances, subdivision improvements, floodplain, and water quality. The Department also reviews current development proposals such as Building Permits, Conditional Use Permits, Rezonings, Subdivisions, and Variances. Public Defender The Pennington County Public Defenders Office is appointed by the courts of Pennington County to represent all indigent persons who by law are entitled to be represented by an attorney in the proceeding in which they are involved. The attorneys in the Public Defender's office primarily represent adults and juveniles charged with crimes, but the office also represents persons on mental and alcohol commitments, other juvenile court proceedings, and appeals and post-conviction proceedings. Register of Deeds The Register of Deeds Office keeps full and true computerized, filmed and scanned records of deeds, mortgages and other instruments authorized by law to be recorded. Filings consist of UCC's, fictitious names, bills of sale, county indigent liens, sheriff's levy, personal property liens, federal tax liens, state tax liens and other miscellaneous documents. Birth, death and marriage certificates are issued from the South Dakota Department of Health Vital Records system. Sheriff's Office The Pennington County Sheriff’s Office has 372 employees, an annual budget of approximately $28 million, and serves over 100,000 citizens spread out over Pennington County’s 2,784 square miles. We also serve a high number of visitors and tourists to our area as Pennington County is home to Mount Rushmore National Monument and Ellsworth Air Force Base. State's Attorney The Pennington County State's Attorney is the chief prosecutor of adult and juvenile crimes in Pennington County. Other responsibilities include protecting children who may be living in abusive or neglectful homes, representing the County in all legal matters, working with other states in returning fugitives and extraditing suspects, etc. Treasurer The Treasurer's Office is responsible for: Collecting all taxes for Pennington County, including real estate and mobile home taxes and special assessments. Issuing titles and licenses for new and used motor vehicles, motorcycles, trailers, snowmobiles and boats. Releasing and notating motor vehicle liens. Assisting taxpayers in applying for duplicate motor vehicle titles. Receiving and accounting for all Pennington County funds. Managing Pennington County’s investments. Submitting monthly remittance payments to the State of South Dakota as required by law. Issuing distress warrants on behalf of the Department of Revenue and Department of Labor as required by law. Weed & Pest it is the goal of Pennington County Weed & Pest Department to conduct and manage a sound, integrated weed & pest management program with the resources available. This goal will be accomplished through willing cooperation with other government agencies, private property owners, and surrounding counties. Pennington County’s Harney Peak at 7,242 ft. is the highest point in North America east of the Rocky Mountains. A well-worn hiking trail leads to its top where a wonderful panoramic view rewards those who make the climb. During Custer’s Expedition in 1874 into the Black Hills, history records that on July 31st Custer and some of his officers made the strenuous climb to the mountain’s peak. At the top, they made a toast to General William S. Harney for whom the peak was named. The 1874 Expedition’s reports of gold brought thousands of miners into the Black Hills over the next few years. In spite of the 1868 Ft. Laramie Treaty with the Sioux Nation, small mining camps sprang up in the Black Hills; many in what would become Pennington County. In 1875, Pennington County was formed. It was named for John L. Pennington, the governor of the Dakota Territory at that time. The first county seat was located at a mining camp called Sheridan. Sheridan and Pennington County, SD hold the distinction of hosting the first Federal Court west of the Missouri River. In 1878, the county seat moved to Rapid City. Sheridan eventually became a ghost town and in 1939 a dam was built covering the former county seat with what is now Sheridan Lake. In 1927, with the dedication speech by President Calvin Coolidge, the work on Mt. Rushmore began. A dream that began in 1923 with Doane Robinson, superintendent of the South Dakota State Historical Society, was now a reality. Sculptor Gutzon Borglum started the work of art that would bring visitors from around the world to the granite cliff known as Mt. Rushmore in Pennington County, South Dakota. The work he began that day would consume the last 14 years of his life. Borglum’s selections for the Mt. Rushmore monument include George Washington, the nation’s first president and the “father of our country”, Thomas Jefferson who envisioned a United States spanning from coast to coast, Abraham Lincoln “the Great Emancipator” who steered our country through the Civil War and Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt, who Borglum saw as the embodiment of the American spirit. On October 31, 1941, the work on the sculpture was done. Located in Pennington County just east of Rapid City, Rapid City Army Air Base was established in 1942 to train B-17 crews. In 1947, after World War II, the base became the Rapid City Air Force Base for the B-29 Superfortress. In the following years, renamed in memory of Brig Gen Richard E. Ellsworth, Ellsworth AFB evolved with the country’s strategic needs. During the Cold War, it became known as the “Showplace of SAC”. It has been home to the B-36, B-52, Strategic Missile Wing and B-1B.