Garfield Township Hall · Photo: stephhein76 · CC BY-SA 3.0Garfield Township spent less per resident in 2022 than 96% of similar towns
Garfield Township’s town government spent $5,000 on day-to-day services in the year to February 28, 2022, about $25 per resident.
What stands out about how Garfield Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$25 per resident in 2022: less than 96% of them
Garfield Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($25 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 395 South Dakota towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $293, and the middle half spent $144–$516. Garfield Township spent less than 96% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
South Dakota towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Garfield Township itself left out).
About $25 per resident a year, or $0.07 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 100%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Garfield Township collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
No trend yet
Garfield Township reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
Who’s in charge in Garfield Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Beresford School District 61-2
Garfield Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Beresford, Pleasant Township, Prairie Township, Emmet Township, Glenwood Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,173 per pupil, $8,071 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
South Dakota districts overall: 50% local, 31% state, 19% federal.
Vermillion School District 13-1 · $11,960 per pupil
Centerville School District 60-1 · $12,371 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Garfield Township’s votes are counted by county
South Dakota reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Garfield Township alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Clay County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat52.0%2,944 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican45.5%2,574 votesOthers: 2.5% (139 votes).
Most votes in Clay County: Kamala D Harris
South Dakota: Trump 63.4%, Harris 34.2%
100% of Garfield Township lies in Clay County. Every 2024 race in Clay County is on the county’s page.
Clay County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Garfield Township.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2South Dakota HouseState representatives
- 3South Dakota SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of South Dakota
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Garfield Township compares with the towns next door
Garfield Township spent $25 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $283 to $584. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Prairie Center Township | $283 | — |
| Glenwood Township | $406 | $3,324 |
| Pleasant Valley Township | $584 | $1,592 |
| Emmet Township | estimate | $2,375 |
| Garfield Township | $25 | — |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Garfield Township’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Garfield Township’s government
How much does Garfield Township spend per resident?
About $25 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to February 28, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $25 was less than 96% of 395 South Dakota towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs Garfield Township’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Garfield Township yet.
How did Garfield Township vote in 2024?
South Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Garfield Township alone. Clay County, where 100% of Garfield Township lies, voted Harris 52.0%, Trump 45.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Garfield Township?
0 full-time and 1 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $833 (about $9,996 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Garfield Township in the state legislature?
State Senate District 17 (Sydney Davis) and State House District 17 (Chris Kassin and William Shorma). The House district also covers 17 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Garfield Township’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →