By Owen Anderson, CED, Jerauld and Sanborn counties
Proposed Local Administrative Area (LAA) Changes:  Sanborn and Jerauld FSA county offices combined on July 31, 2012.  Each county has 3 LAAs.  FSA must reduce the number of LAAs from six to five for the combined counties.
Consideration was given to the number of farmers in each LAA compared with other LAAs, fair representation of ag producers in the area, ensuring all producers have maximum equitable opportunity to participate in FSA COC elections, types of farming, geographical conditions, and fair representation of socially disadvantaged producers.  Physical size of one LAA in relation to another is not a critical factor in determining LAA boundaries.
The joint Sanborn/Jerauld FSA County Committee made the following recommendation for redrawing the LAA boundaries:
LAA 1 will have an estimated 453 voters and consist of all of Cherry, Dale, Alpena, Warren, and Jackson townships plus the north half of Wessington Springs, Franklin, Woonsocket and Silver Creek townships.
LAA 2 will have an estimated 373 voters and will consist of all of Floyd, Afton, Oneida, Benedict, Diana and Ravenna townships.
LAA 3 will have an estimated 404 voters and will consist of all of Logan (Sanborn), Union, Elliott, Letcher and Butler townships.
LAA 4 will have an estimated 348 voters and will consist of the south half of Wessington Springs, Franklin, Woonsocket, and Silver Creek townships plus all of Viola, Blaine and Twin Lake townships.
LAA 5 will have an estimated 380 voters and will consist of all of Marlar, Harmony, Crow, Pleasant, Media, Logan (Jerauld), Crow Lake and Anina.
If approved, elections will be required for all five LAAs in 2013 because each LAA is different than before. The 2013 election will fill seats for the following terms: LAA 1 – two years, LAA 2 – three years, LAA 3 – one year, LAA 4 – two years, and LAA 5 – three years.
Public comments can be submitted to: Sanborn/Jerauld FSA County Office, 203 W 7th St., Suite 100, Woonsocket, SD 57385-2196. Please submit your comments to be received in this office by the close of business March 27. The recommendation must be submitted along with public comments to the South Dakota FSA State Committee for review and concurrence.
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