Gov. Larry Rhoden is urging lawmakers to advance his property tax plan, highlighting estimated homeowner savings using a new county-by‑county map released Thursday.
Rhoden said Senate Bill 96, which passed the Senate before crossover day, gives counties the option to adopt a half‑cent sales tax in exchange for an owner‑occupied property tax credit—a localized alternative to a statewide mandate.
Using a $325,000 home as an example, Rhoden said the plan would save homeowners $927 in Minnehaha County and $886 in Pennington County.
Asked how much more residents might pay in sales tax, Rhoden said he did not have a figure, but noted visitors would share the cost. Budget Commissioner Jim Terwilliger estimated his own household would pay about $160 more per year, compared with about $660 in average property‑tax savings, resulting in roughly $500 in net savings for many homeowners.
Rhoden reiterated that the plan targets counties hit hardest by post‑pandemic home‑value spikes, not the entire state.
He also downplayed this week’s Senate procedural disputes, saying lawmakers should “move on” as the session winds down.
The county savings map is available at governor.sd.gov.
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