Committee will present recommendations at special City Council session Monday
RAPID CITY, SD—The Vision Fund Citizen Committee Wednesday released a list of 14 projects the committee will recommend to the Rapid City Common Council for Vision Fund resources. The total of the project recommendations is just over $12 million ($12,004,189), which is the amount of Vision Fund allocations approved last year by the City Council for public projects in the 2025-29 cycle.
The committee will present its recommendations at a special City Council meeting set for next Monday at 6:30 p.m. in Council Chambers of City Hall. The public is invited.
In February, a committee of nine members and two alternates were selected. In March, the committee initiated a review process of 29 public project proposals. The review process included weekly review sessions, on-site visits and public hearings featuring presentations from the applicants.
Collectively, the 29 applying entities requested more than $74.2 million in Vision Fund allocations. The total project cost for all 29 submissions is nearly $120 million ($119.8 million).
“Each proposal received thorough individual attention, evaluation, and extensive discussion during our working sessions,” said Committee Chairman John Kaiser. “Every project was given serious consideration, and individual committee members demonstrated commitment and voiced passionate perspectives.
“We are pleased to report that we were able to reach a consensus despite the complexities of the task.”
The Vision Fund Citizen Committee consisted of Leslie Magnusson Hildyard, Greg Hansen, Holly Howie, Matthew Hasvold, Reese Niu, Lloyd LaCroix, Mary Drumm, Matt James and Kaiser. Kyle Caudle and Mary Gilbertson-Lee served as alternates.
Monday’s special session of the City Council will include a presentation by the committee, discussion and possible action on the recommendations by Council.
Vision Fund history:
The origin of the Vision Fund dates back to 1972 when voters approved an additional half-penny sales tax increase with the revenue to be spent on the building of the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center. In the mid-1990’s, voters approved continuation of the half-cent tax to build a fund to support community projects. Today, Rapid City assesses two cents in municipal sales tax on every dollar spent with one cent devoted to the City’s general fund and the second penny divided between the City’s Capital Improvement Fund (58 percent) and to the Vision Fund (42 percent).
This is the eighth Vision Funding cycle. The other seven funding cycles – 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2016, 2019, 2022 – also utilized a process that included a citizens committee reviewing proposals and making recommendations along with Council discussion and approval. A total of 104 projects have been approved by the City Council for Vision Funds since 1995 with a total combined allocation of more than $212.7 million.
Examples of Vision Fund projects approved by the City Council in the past include Canyon Lake Dam Reconstruction, Skyline Wilderness Park, Rapid City BMX Park upgrades, Rushmore Little League field lighting, Roosevelt Park Swim Center’s 50-meter outdoor pool, Harney Little League renovations, South Middle School and West Middle School Community Gym facilities and Horace Mann Pool,
A portion of the Vision Fund resources are used towards the debt on The Monument’s Summit Arena with other funds to be utilized for civic improvements, economic development and community projects.
