South Dakota Constitution
Article 13 - Public Indebtedness.
§ 4 Debt limitations for municipalities and political subdivisions.

§ 4. Debt limitations for municipalities and political subdivisions. The debt of any county, city, town or civil township shall never exceed five per centum upon the assessed valuation of the taxable property therein, for the year preceding that in which said indebtedness is incurred. The debt of any school district shall never exceed ten per centum upon the assessed valuation of the taxable property therein, for the year preceding that in which said indebtedness is incurred. In estimating the amount of the indebtedness which a municipality or subdivision may incur, the amount of indebtedness contracted prior to the adoption of the Constitution shall be included.

Provided, that any county, municipal corporation, civil township, district, or other subdivision may incur an additional indebtedness, not exceeding ten per centum upon the assessed valuation of the taxable property therein, for the year preceding that in which said indebtedness is incurred, for the purpose of providing water and sewerage, for irrigation, domestic uses, sewerage and other purposes; and

Provided, further, that in a city where the population is eight thousand or more, such city may incur an indebtedness not exceeding eight per centum upon the assessed valuation of the taxable property therein for the year next preceding that in which said indebtedness is incurred for the purpose of constructing street railways, electric lights or other lighting plants.

Provided, further, that no county, municipal corporation, civil township, district or subdivision shall be included within such district or subdivision without a majority vote in favor thereof of the electors of the county, municipal corporation, civil township, district or other subdivision, as the case may be, which is proposed to be included therein, and no such debt shall ever be incurred for any of the purposes in this section provided, unless authorized by a vote in favor thereof by a majority of the electors of such county, municipal corporation, civil township, district or subdivision incurring the same.

History: Amendment proposed by SL 1895, ch 35, approved Nov., 1896; amendment proposed by SL 1901, ch 89, approved Nov., 1902; amendment proposed by SL 1909, ch 139, rejected Nov., 1910; amendment proposed by SL 1920 (SS), ch 34, rejected Nov., 1920; amendment proposed by SL 1949, ch 238, rejected Nov., 1950; amendment proposed by SL 1953, ch 312, approved Nov., 1954.