Quick links: Local Government, Budgets, Elections, Public Safety, Philanthropy, Veterans

Local Government

Rapid City was incorporated as a city in 1888 with an Act of Incorporation. From 1888 to 1910 and from 1957 to the present, the community has operated with an aldermanic form of government. Today Rapid City’s business is conducted by a mayor and a 10-person city council. Rapid City is divided into five wards, each of which elects two representatives to the city council. The mayor is elected at-large. In February 2012 the council voted 6-4 to change the term of office from two years to three years for mayor and councilmen. Mayor Sam Kooiker vetoed the measure, saying the issue should be decided by voters.

Regular council meetings are held on the first and third Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the City-School Administration Center, 300 Sixth St. Agendas and minutes can be found online and are published in the Rapid City Journal.

• 2012 Election information page
• Vision 2012--documents and media stories from the original one cent sales tax in 1972 and the building of the Civic Center to the creation of Vision 2012 in 1993 and the vote in 1995 to continue Vision 2012.
• 2013 Proposed budget (July 2, 2012)
• Mayor Kooiker's Fiscal Year 2013 budget presentation (July 2, 2012)
• Tax Increment Financing District information page
• 2020 Strategic Plan
• Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan (Draft Report, March 2011)
• Flood Plain--maps, ordinances, and historical documents relating to its creation
• Parking Information
• City Report Card (March 7, 2011)
• Map of government-owned land in the Rapid City area.
• Rapid City Progress Reports- initiated in October 2011 by Mayor Sam Kooiker, issued quarterly
• Rapid City Monthly Newsletter
• Online Driver License Manuals

• Rapid City Housing Inspections- Information on how inspections are handled in Rapid City, and the Building Code
• History of Presidents Plaza- History of a proposed mixed-use facility in downtown Rapid City
• One Cent Sales Tax and the Vision Fund-  Pages on the history of the tax that resulted in the Civic Center and the Vision Fund
• COMPASS Independent Audit Program- Coverage of Rapid City's new audit program

Budgets

Officials estimate that Rapid City will receive more than $47.4 million in revenue in 2012. Nearly two-thirds of this money will come from sales and property taxes, with various grants, fees and charges accounting for the final one-third of the budget. The city plans to spend an equal amount on services and operations, with police, fire, emergency and safety programs accounting for 43 percent of the total and public works another 20 percent. For detailed information on revenues and expenses, refer to the City of Rapid City’s 2012 budget. The Rapid City Public Library has also compiled a collection of news stories related to the development of the 2012 budget for the City of Rapid City. news stories related to the development of the 2012 budget for the City of Rapid City. City leaders used a “Budgeting for Outcomes” approach in developing the 2013 budget. Officials say the philosophy encourages new ideas and works to provide services in line with community priorities. More than 735 people are employed in Rapid City’s 12 departments: airport, attorney’s office, civic center, community planning/development, community resources, finance, fire, library, mayor/city council, parks and recreation, police and public works.

Elections

Information on voting, elections and past elections is available from the Pennington County Auditor's office as well as in the online research files compiled by the Rapid City Public Library.

• 2012 Election Information Page
• Voter registration information
• Voting Precinct Map for Rapid City
• Voting Precinct Map for Pennington County
• Articles/information on the election, as well as  school, city, and local elections in the Knowledge Network archive.
• Results from past elections on the Pennington County Auditor's site.
• South Dakota State Legislature

Public Safety

Philanthropy

  Non-profits

• Black Hills Area Community Foundation provides overviews of nearly 130 area non-profits on www.GiveBlackHills.org.
• Rapid City Chamber of Commerce - List of Non-profit organizations (pdf) 
• Rapid City- Contribute to Nonprofits- Links to nonprofit groups in Rapid City

     Volunteerism

• Helpline Center Volunteer opportunities
• City of Rapid City Volunteer opportunities
• Rapid City Public Library Volunteer Program
• Big Brothers, Big Sisters of the Black Hills--A national volunteer organization that matches youths with mentors has a local branch in Rapid City.
• Front Porch Coalition--This local organization provides suicide prevention resources.
• United Way of the Black Hills volunteer page
  • United Way's links for local volunteer opportunities.

Veterans & Military Affairs

• Ellsworth Air Force Base
• South Dakota Army National Guard
• South Dakota Civil Air Patrol
• Department of Veterans Affairs - Black Hills
• Pennington County Veterans Services Office