Residents say ballot explanation for destination district is misleading

RAPID CITY – The Rapid City City Council at the regular meeting on Monday, December 1, 2025, heard from citizens about the proposed destination district also known as Libertyland.

Rapid City residents will be able to vote on the proposed Libertyland Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district on January 20, 2026, in a special election. The council had initially approved the $125 million dollar TIF, but a successful petition effort by residents forced the matter to a public vote.

Libertyland is a proposed mixed-use entertainment and residential development in Rapid City. The 300-acre site planned near I-90 is being developed by Storyland Studios that will include a theme park, an indoor water park, a Western-themed RV resort, a hotel and a residential area. Project developers and city leaders say this will create a major regional destination for both residents and tourists, encouraging longer stays in the Black Hills area, would provide year-round entertainment, and housing.

Visit Rapid City Executive Director Domico Rodriguez haltingly read a statement asking Council to support the TIF. He tied the sports complex success to Libertyland while stressing the two projects are separate, and that a TIF is often the only way cities have to spur economic growth. He stressed that Liberty Land is not an “amusement park,” compared it to Disney and asked people to think of Downtown Disney as a reference. “There are restaurants, shopping, and entertainment that are all free for visitors and Rapid City residents.” Admission to the Disney district is free and there is no theme park ticket required but patrons must pay for parking, shopping, and dining, this includes purchases, activities, food, souvenirs and the AMC theater. Rodriquez didn’t elaborate but continued, “Liberty Land would be a great sales tax generator, but it will be a huge asset to the indoor sports complex located across the street.” He directed interested parties to the Team Rapid City website to find out more.

While stressing that they are two separate issues, Rodriguez said vital infrastructure associated to the destination district TIF would help the sports complex. “The completion of Tish Boulevard is part of the TIF, and it will be a major artery to get in and out of the sports complex.” He said they recently learned of additional site work expenses for the sports complex. “If the TIF passes, we will be able to leverage site and dirt work cost-sharing with Libertyland to ensure the cost of the complex doesn’t balloon.” He added, that a recently conducted community survey about the sports complex found that one of the most discussed issues was ensuring that there is adequate parking at the complex. “With Libertyland located directly across the street, we can invest more in the facility itself and leverage shared parking costs at Libertyland.” Without naming anything specific, Rodriquez said that there is a lot of misinformation about the two projects and VRC would be happy to meet with residents to answer questions.

Jay Davis, who is a member of the No Free Rides Committee and also a resident from Ward 1, said he helped carry petitions to refer the Libertyland TIF to a vote of the people. He asked the Council overrule the ballot explanation that the city attorney has prepared. “Modify it at least to remove speculation and campaign rhetoric that has no business being in an official ballot explanation. I would particularly focus on the final sentence of the explanation that you now have which says, ‘without the TIF the developer may choose to discontinue or significantly scale back the project leading the future valuations and tax revenues being lower with more limited infrastructure improvements for the area’.” He said that the word “may” is speculation and opinion. “It’s not a legal explanation of what this measure does.” Davis said if they were voting on a proposal to freeze or lower property taxes it would be inappropriate for the ballot explanation to read that this may lead to increased pressure for state income tax. “If we were voting on abortion rights, you wouldn’t put in the ballot explanation this may lead to an increase in suicides.” He said that kind of speculation is appropriate for campaign rhetoric but not in ballot explanations.

Like other commenters, Davis also said the word “Libertyland” should appear in the ballot explanation.

Tonchi Weaver from the No Free Ride Committee agreed and said a public-private partnership like this puts the public at a disadvantage because there is no transparency, accountability, and oversight for the private portion of the TIF. “The No Free Rides Committee is of the opinion that the approved ballot explanation reinforces the effort by the Team Rapid City Committee to obfuscate the issue and delude the voter to believe that they are voting on the sports complex. Team Rapid City is promoting a yes vote to, in their own words ‘save the sports complex’ admitting that the Libertyland TIF contains expenditures intended for other projects besides the theme park.” Weaver said if there are expenditures in the Libertyland TIF for phase 1 of the Catalyst TIF which is where the sports complex is, she said it can be assumed that there will be expenditures for the Catalyst phase 2 – the data center. “The purpose of a ballot explanation is to inform the voter about what is contained in the ballot issue.” She said her groups suggestions were not discussed or taken into account by council members. “Nowhere in the official ballot explanation does the word ‘Libertyland’ appear.”

The Council approved item 44 with a list of 18 stipulations. The request by Avid4 Engineering, Inc. for Libertyland USA, LLC for a Preliminary Subdivision Plan for proposed lots at the East Mall Business Center Subdivision property north of E. Mall Drive, east of N. Lacross Steet, south of Seger Drive and west of Tish Boulevard. The vote was 8-1, with Rod Pettigrew voting no and John Roberts was absent.

(Contact Marnie Cook at cookm8715@gmail.com)

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