FORT PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - Mayor Sam Tidball has been functioning like an old reliable spark plug under the hood of Fort Pierre city government for nearly two decades. But the time has finally come to switch out that sparkplug acknowledges Tidball, who turned 90 years old in March.
“It’s time to step down and let somebody with some fresh ideas and a ton of energy take over,” Tidball said.
The city last month held a retirement celebration for Tidball that featured hundreds of people, some coming from as far away as Sisseton. Tidball later expressed his gratitude in a letter published in the Capital Journal.
While fulfilling many roles during his lifetime, Tidball may be most proud of the part-time job he has held for the past 16 years. As his final days in public office near, Tidball honorably sits among the codified law books and a South Dakotan-made painting found in his office in the basement of the Stanley County Court House.
Under Tidball’s watch, Fort Pierre has blossomed in many ways. Last year, Tidball said he counted 42 new businesses that have been started in the city in the last 20 years. That’s a stark contrast from when Tidball began serving on the city council in 1992.
“We didn’t even have a filling station in town,” he recalls. “Now we’ve got four.”
Business in Fort Pierre these days is booming, in part due to the guidance of Tidball. When plans to develop an event center with Pierre fell through, the mayor, along with several other city officials decided to become developers.
Although there were many that doubted the city’s attempt to develop commercial real estate, Tidball harkened back to his days spent as a lobbyist for the state’s school board association. That was when he became familiar with state statutes. Tidball’s knowledge of the law helped create a development corporation, which has been vital in the burgeoning community.
A few of the accomplishments Tidball is most proud of include the Fort Pierre Expo Center, the walk bridge across the Missouri River, Teton Island and the Lilly Park expansion, which he calls the “jewel of the city.” Although it won’t be finished by the time he leaves office, Tidball is particularly fond of the Riverwalk Landing development, which is scheduled to break ground in April.
But being mayor hasn’t always been easy. Tidball said some of the biggest challenges he faced during his tenure were the 2011 flood and occasionally being the council’s tiebreaking vote.
“I didn’t feel good about having to make the decision but I do feel it was the right decision,” he said.
After two of Tidball’s tiebreaking votes - one regarding the replacement of the city’s water supply system and the other being the Riverwalk project - the issues were placed on an election ballot. Both times, voters validated the action that Tidball supported.
The flood, Tidball said, was particularly difficult because the city had no prior experience with building levies.
“It was a very stressful time,” he said, adding that the city’s leadership recruited the help of every local contractor, resulting in millions of dollars worth of property being saved.
Although he has spent the past 40 years living in the area, Tidball grew up in Isabel.
“I went to a one-room school from first through eighth grade,” he said.
Tidball owned and operated a farm and ranch in Isabel, and also started his own business, selling farm machinery, hardware equipment and appliances. After some health issues, Tidball shifted gears. He sold his business and leased out the farm and ranch and headed to college. He was 38 years old at the time.
In two short years, Tidball earned a Bachelor of Science from Black Hills State University. From there, he taught in Spearfish for a few years while working on a master’s degree. At one point Tidball became a faculty member at Black Hills State and spent time as the superintendent of schools in Faith and Bison. He even became an administrator for the Associated School Board of South Dakota.
Over the years, Tidball has learned the importance of public service, leading him to the position he will exit on May 1.
“I think it’s terribly important for people to take an active role in the business of the community,” he said, “to make it a better place to visit, look at and live.”
In addition to his public service, Tidball has taken part in several community activities, including the annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration. That’s when he serves as the chief cook of the Irish stew feed, while overlooking preparation efforts and performing taste tests.
And although the time has come to replace a spark plug that has long been a driving force for Fort Pierre, Tidball’s pride for the city he calls home remains strong.
“I think the world of this community and I certainly will be around cheerleading and to assist continued development and growth of the city,” he said.
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Information from: Pierre Capital Journal, https://www.capjournal.com
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