SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - The Minnehaha County Commission gave approval today to a provisional budget of $82.5 million dollars.
Carol Muller with county administration says the general fund is $54.7 million, or a 6.6% increase.
Muller says the budget includes eleven new hires of which ten are in public safety. She says the cost of the new additions is $654,000.
The commission will not increase last year's opt-out of 3.4 million of which it has spent 1.5 million.
Muller says a public hearing on the proposed budget will be held on the first Tuesday in September with adoption by the end of that month.
Meanwhile...The Minnehaha County Commission today approved a list of issues the legislature should take up including a study of indigent defense.
Commissioner Dick Kelly favors having the state pick-up the tab.
Kelly wants a clearer picture of who qualifies for public defense. He says its a problem not only in Minnehaha County, but across the state, because there are no standards.
Commissioner Gerald Beninga wants the state to expand medicaid.
Beninga says there are lots of good reasons, both economic and moral obligations, to be able to do these things for almost 50,000 South Dakotans.
Commissioners would like the state to reimburse counties for holding inmate over a week for pre-sentence evaluations.