BROOKINGS COUNTY (10-21-26) — Brookings Radio and the Brookings Beacon now continue Election 2026 coverage. This week, we profile candidates for Brookings County Commission.
Michael Lambertus is a retired Brookings Fire Department Fire Captain, currently employed by Brookings Health System and Avera Home Medical.
When it comes to the 765-kilovolt power line proposed for Brookings County, Lambertus said that project does not directly benefit South Dakota… “We do need that electrical grid for growth, but on the flip side that grid is really not going to serve the people of Brookings County. I have heard and read from the Public Utilities Commission that everything with the 765 is going to be shipping electricity to Minnesota.”
He said he’d also prefer to see large solar power development projects go elsewhere… “I’ll put solar in my parking lot so I can park in the shade. I do not want to see cropland or pheasant land or deer population ousted because of solar panels. I feel there’s better places to put solar panels than out in the country.”
Lambertus said he’s not in favor of implementing Senate Bill 96 in Brookings County — that’s the optional half-cent sales tax counties can use to lower homeowner property taxes… “As a homeowner, yeah property taxes would be nice to lower. But how long would it — and this is just me as a resident — how long would it take to see that impact? And would it be worth it in the long run? Is the pro going to outweigh the con?”
Three, four-year seats on the County Commission are up for grabs.
The complete interview with Michael Lambertus is posted at https://www.brookingsradio.com/news/interview-brookings-county-commission-candidate-michael-lambertus/.
The Brookings Beacon is also publishing transcripts from the county candidate interviews in today’s issue. Online coverage can be found at https://brookingsbeacon.com/county-commission-candidates/.
Election day is November 3.
— Brookings Radio News
