Opinion ID: 1935363
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: issues

Text: Finally, appellants allege that SDCL 7-17-1 is unconstitutional because it has consolidated the two counties without the consent of the residents therein. Article IX, Section 1 of the South Dakota Constitution provides in part: The Legislature shall have plenary powers to organize and classify units of local government, except that any proposed change in county boundaries shall be submitted to the voters of each affected county at an election and be approved by a majority of those voting thereon in each county. There is no evidence in the record that any change in county boundaries has taken place in this case. Rather appellants argue that the combined effect of the Little Thunder decision, supra, and SDCL 7-17-1 merged Tripp and Todd Counties in contravention of the consolidation procedures provided in SDCL 7-2. They cite no authority in support of this contention, and we do not agree that the counties have been consolidated. Consolidation comprehends the `combination into one unit' and therefore, `to consolidate means something more than rearrange or redivide.' Independent District of Fairview v. Durland, 45 Iowa 53, 56 (1876). Tripp and Todd Counties have not been combined into one unit. Each county has a separate budget. Tripp County officials keep separate accounts for the two counties. Taxes collected from the two counties are segregated. Todd County has its own highway department and Food Stamp Program. This separation of government functions is the nature of the attachment, not consolidation, as the legislature structured it, and these counties have stayed within the guidelines. Indeed all of the statutory attachment provisions were followed prior to the decision of Little Thunder, supra, and there has been no evidence of change since that decision. The right to participate in county elections does not work a consolidation of the two counties. They are still two separate units which are merely attached for administrative purposes. In Williams v. Book, 75 S.D. 173, 61 N.W.2d 290 (1953), this court stated that in the absence of constitutional limitations, legislative power over counties is plenary and supreme. As discussed earlier, the legislature had the power to attach Todd County to Tripp County in the manner prescribed by the statutes. It provided a separate method for counties to consolidate. The consolidation statutes provide that in order for consolidation of two counties to take place the electors of the counties must petition the board of county commissioners to hold an election to determine the question of consolidation. SDCL 7-2-1. A majority of all votes cast at such election must be in favor of such consolidation for it to take place. SDCL 7-2-3. There can be no consolidation until there is an election. In this case no such election was held. The duly constituted officials have been acting within the powers given them by law, following the guidelines of the statutory attachment scheme. Even if the county officials had engaged in ultra vires activities, the remedy would not be to sever the two counties. The remedy would be against the officials for exceeding their authority. The Little Thunder decision, supra, has not added to or taken away from the powers of the county officials; it has merely served to define who the duly constituted officials are. We conclude, therefore, that SDCL 7-17-1 is not unconstitutional as having consolidated two counties without the consent of the residents therein.