{"id":39581,"date":"2025-12-06T10:18:15","date_gmt":"2025-12-06T15:18:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/cannon-ball-nd-58528\/residents-say-ballot-explanation-for-destination-district-is-misleading\/"},"modified":"2025-12-06T10:18:23","modified_gmt":"2025-12-06T15:18:23","slug":"residents-say-ballot-explanation-for-destination-district-is-misleading","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/cannon-ball-nd-58528\/residents-say-ballot-explanation-for-destination-district-is-misleading\/","title":{"rendered":"Residents say ballot explanation for destination district is misleading"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Citizens fill seats at the Monday night City Council meeting. Photos by Marnie Cook.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

RAPID CITY \u2013 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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Tonchi Weaver asks City Council to better explain ballot issues, specifically for Libertyland.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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 \u201camusement park,\u201d compared it to Disney and asked people to think of Downtown Disney as a reference. \u201cThere are restaurants, shopping, and entertainment that are all free for visitors and Rapid City residents.\u201d 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\u2019t elaborate but continued, \u201cLiberty Land would be a great sales tax generator, but it will be a huge asset to the indoor sports complex located across the street.\u201d He directed interested parties to the Team Rapid City website to find out more.<\/p>\n

While stressing that they are two separate issues, Rodriguez said vital infrastructure associated to the destination district TIF would help the sports complex. \u201cThe 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.\u201d He said they recently learned of additional site work expenses for the sports complex. \u201cIf 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\u2019t balloon.\u201d 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. \u201cWith Libertyland located directly across the street, we can invest more in the facility itself and leverage shared parking costs at Libertyland.\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

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. \u201cModify 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, \u2018without 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\u2019.\u201d He said that the word \u201cmay\u201d is speculation and opinion. \u201cIt\u2019s not a legal explanation of what this measure does.\u201d 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. \u201cIf we were voting on abortion rights, you wouldn\u2019t put in the ballot explanation this may lead to an increase in suicides.\u201d He said that kind of speculation is appropriate for campaign rhetoric but not in ballot explanations.<\/p>\n

Like other commenters, Davis also said the word \u201cLibertyland\u201d should appear in the ballot explanation.<\/p>\n

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. \u201cThe 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 \u2018save the sports complex\u2019 admitting that the Libertyland TIF contains expenditures intended for other projects besides the theme park.\u201d 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 \u2013 the data center. \u201cThe purpose of a ballot explanation is to inform the voter about what is contained in the ballot issue.\u201d She said her groups suggestions were not discussed or taken into account by council members. \u201cNowhere in the official ballot explanation does the word \u2018Libertyland\u2019 appear.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

(Contact Marnie Cook at cookm8715@gmail.com)<\/span><\/p>\n

The post Residents say ballot explanation for destination district is misleading<\/a> first appeared on Native Sun News Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Citizens fill seats at the Monday night City Council meeting. Photos by Marnie Cook. RAPID CITY \u2013 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 <\/p>\n

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Shared by Native Sun News Today<\/a> December 6, 2025<\/p>\n

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