Lake County, SD elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Lake County: 11 seats on 7 elected bodies. 4 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of County Commissioners

Lake County Board of Commissioners

Every member is elected countywide.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County CommissionerCorey Johnke sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County CommissionerAdam Leighton source
County CommissionerDeb Reinicke source
County CommissionerDennis Slaughter source
County CommissionerKelli Wollmann source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County AuditorPaula Barrick sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
CoronerSarina Talich source
Register of DeedsShirley Ebsen sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
SheriffSarina Talich sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
State's AttorneyAaron McGowan source
County TreasurerDebra Walburg source

How many local governments Lake County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 38 local governments in Lake County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government11
Cities, towns, villages and townships (5 municipal, 16 township)210
School districts (school boards)40
Special districts (elected boards)120

Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).

About these counts

The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments, though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.

Who lives in Lake County

10,972people
43.8median ageU.S.: 38.9
$76,808 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
8.4%below the U.S.: 12.5%
34.6%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$247,600median home valueU.S.: $332,700
3%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
3.7%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
7.8%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
4%U.S.: 8.4%
47.5%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
24.6%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 5.3% · White 88.8% · Black 0.7% · Asian 0.7% · Other or more than one race 4.4% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)

Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).

About these figures

The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.

Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.

Jobs in Lake County

1.5%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 1.6%. South Dakota: 1.7%.
100people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
6,409people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
6,509in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Lake County 0.0%0.9%1.8%2.7%3.6% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)1.5%1006,4096,509
August 20261.8%1186,2836,401
July 20262.0%1306,3366,466
June 20261.8%1186,4106,528
May 20261.8%1196,5296,648
April 20261.5%1026,5666,668
March 20261.6%1096,5846,693
February 20262.2%1466,4726,618
January 20261.8%1166,2956,411
December 20252.0%1316,4326,563
November 20251.8%1176,5186,635
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20251.6%1076,5296,636
August 20251.9%1236,4196,542
July 20251.8%1166,4376,553
June 20251.8%1226,5146,636
May 20251.9%1236,4896,612
April 20251.7%1116,5506,661
March 20251.6%1066,5806,686
February 20251.8%1186,4936,611
January 20251.6%1026,3776,479
December 20241.5%1006,3966,496
November 20241.5%996,4966,595
October 20241.2%836,5686,651
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)1.8%1166,4856,601
20241.5%996,5346,633
20231.6%1056,5466,651
20221.8%1176,4816,598
20212.4%1526,2776,429
20203.3%2106,1846,394
20192.8%1836,3896,572
20183.0%1986,4156,613
20173.4%2216,2596,480
20163.3%2126,2556,467

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. South Dakota's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 2.0% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.

Crime reported in Lake County

72.6 per 100,0002025. South Dakota: 307.5.
608.4 per 100,0002025. South Dakota: 1,312.3.
0murders2025, 8 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
2025872.667608.4
202414127.659537.9
202314128.167612.9
202213120.871659.5
2021971.839311.1
2020969.489685.9
201919143.997734.8
201817129.7117892.6
201723175.1124944.1
By police agency (2)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Madison Police Department20256546,068
Lake County Sheriff's Office20252134,945

Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in South Dakota · the U.S.

Police staffing

2.00 per 1,000 residents2025, 2 agencies serving 11,013 people.
22sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
10civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (2), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Lake County Sheriff's Office894,945
Madison Police Department1416,068
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2025222.00102
2024211.9182
2023222.01102
2022211.95102
2021211.68112
2019211.5982
2018211.60112
2017181.37132
2016181.4072

Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.

Quick answers

Who is the Lake County County Auditor?
Paula Barrick is the County Auditor of Lake County, South Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Lake County Coroner?
Sarina Talich is the Coroner of Lake County, South Dakota.
Who is the Lake County Register of Deeds?
Shirley Ebsen is the Register of Deeds of Lake County, South Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Lake County Sheriff?
Sarina Talich is the Sheriff of Lake County, South Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Lake County State's Attorney?
Aaron McGowan is the State's Attorney of Lake County, South Dakota.
Who is the Lake County County Treasurer?
Debra Walburg is the County Treasurer of Lake County, South Dakota.
Who are the Lake County commissioners?
Corey Johnke (County Commissioner); Adam Leighton (County Commissioner); Deb Reinicke (County Commissioner); Dennis Slaughter (County Commissioner); Kelli Wollmann (County Commissioner).
What is the population of Lake County?
About 10,972 people, with a median age of 43.8; the median household income is $76,808 and 8.4% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Lake County?
1.5% in September 2026 (preliminary): 100 people unemployed in a labor force of 6,509, against 1.6% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Lake County?
38 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 5 municipal, 16 township, 4 school district and 12 special district governments.

Officeholders as of December 2, 2025, from the Secretary of State's South Dakota Legislative Manual (Blue Book); each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.

Lake County's 2026 ballot and results · Every South Dakota county · South Dakota's members of Congress

See your members of Congress and every race and measure on your ballot in Lake County, from your address. Your address stays in your browser.Look up my races

See something wrong on this page? Report a problem · Corrections