Town Hall · Lead

Lead, SD town hall & government

Lead spent $4.6 million in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,515 per resident.

Where the money goes, where it comes from, property taxes, and how to reach Lead's government.

Town budget

Where Lead's money goes

Spent
$4.6 million
fiscal year to December 31, 2024
Per resident
$1,515
typical South Dakota cities: $2,666
Long-term debt
$1.4 million
$468 per resident
Water & other utilities
$959,00021%
Police
$821,00018%
Administration & buildings
$679,00015%
Parks & libraries
$583,00013%
Sewer & trash
$431,0009%
Health & welfare
$158,0003%
Interest on debt
$70,0002%
Other
$865,00019%

Where the money comes from

  • Sales taxes 32%
  • Property taxes 21%
  • Fees & charges 18%
  • Utility sales 15%
  • Interest, fines & other 5%
  • From the federal government 3%
  • From the state 3%
  • From other local governments 2%
  • Other taxes & licenses 1%
Town workforce · Census estimate

Who works for Lead

Full-time staff
20
8 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$70,200
a year, before benefits
Sworn police officers
6
full-time, with power of arrest
Roads & transportation
8 full-time
Police
7 full-time1 part
Administration & buildings
1 full-time5 part
Parks & libraries
2 full-time2 part
Sewer & trash
1 full-time
Water & other utilities
1 full-time

Staff on the town's payroll in March 2025. Pay is March payroll times twelve, so it's approximate. Lead didn't report its staffing to the Census Bureau, so these are the Bureau's estimates.

Schools · school year 2023–24

Lead-Deadwood School District 40-1

Lead's K–12 school district, shared with Central City and Deadwood. It is its own government, with a budget separate from the town's.

Spending per pupil
$17,440
South Dakota: $13,040
Students
671
in the whole district
Long-term debt
$2.1 million
at year end

Where the district's money comes from South Dakota districts overall: 50% local, 31% state, 19% federal

  • Local 85%
  • State 4%
  • Federal 11%

Of the $17,440 per pupil, $9,955 goes to classroom instruction (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to support services such as buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren't in the per-pupil figure.

Property tax

What homeowners in Lead pay

Typical tax bill
$1,864
a year · South Dakota typical $2,724
Effective rate
0.98%
of home value · South Dakota 1.06%
Typical home value
$189,400
owner-occupied

The median yearly bill homeowners report, covering every local property tax on the home (town, schools, county). The effective rate is that bill divided by the median home value, so it's a rough guide, not the official tax rate.

Local

Contact Lead's government

🏛️ Official websiteleadmethere.org ↗

Town hall & decisions in Lead →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Lead

Lead is represented in Congress by Senators John Thune and Mike Rounds and Representative Dusty Johnson. Larry Rhoden is governor.

All of Lead's representatives, with contacts →

Budget: U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Finance (every city and town government's revenue, spending and debt, grouped into plain categories). Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.

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Lead

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