District III
The "seeds" of District III were sown in 1970 as federal Model Rural Development Program guidelines were being considered by the South Dakota Planning Agency. On December 4, 1970, Governor Frank Farrar (pictured right) signed an Executive Order creating the boundaries of six planning districts. District I (Watertown) was the pilot organization. District III was established in May 1973.
The District's initial membership included twelve counties, eleven cities of 1,000 persons or more, and the Yankton Sioux Tribe. These entities formed the voluntary association under a "Joint Cooperative Agreement", which was authorized under state joint powers statutes.
Today, Planning and Development District III service area includes 15 counties in South Central South Dakota � Aurora, Bon Homme, Brule, Buffalo, Charles Mix, Davison, Douglas, Gregory, Hanson, Hutchinson, Jerauld, Lyman, Sanborn, Tripp, and Yankton. Within our 15 counties are 3 Tribal Governments � Crow Creek, Lower Brule Sioux, and Yankton Sioux. Also within our service area are 60 cities. The total population of the region is 98,534 within 11,911 square miles.
DISTRICT III MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
Membership Eligibility Information
District III is a voluntary association. Its membership includes governmental entities and organizations with an interest in furthering development within the region. The District III Committee has the authority to expand its membership at will. Currently, because of federal funding regulations, the majority of District III�s members must be elected officials (51%).
The District also utilizes the expertise of its Comprehensive Development Strategy (CEDS) Committee. This group consists of mainly private sector representatives. It provides policy, guidance and service feedback on business related issues.
50th Anniversary Highlights