Brookings City Manager

A Message from the City Manager:

Welcome to the City of Brookings website!
We hope you will find it a helpful means of being informed about the City of Brookings and all we have to offer. If you are a current resident of Brookings, this website and its links to other sites are designed to assist you to be better informed about your city government. If you are a visitor, we hope you will learn what almost 19,000 residents already know; that Brookings is a great place to live, work, play, and retire. And we invite you to make Brookings your new address!

We hope you will take advantage of everything Brookings has to offer. Whether you are looking for excellent schools, diverse neighborhoods, quality businesses, economic opportunities, exciting entertainment, cultural experiences or unique shopping; you’ll find it here in Brookings.

Brookings prides itself on striving to be an innovative and entrepreneurial community. In addition to the traditional local government services, we try to go the extra distance by providing additional opportunities and maintain a consistently high level of service to both visitors and residents alike. With more than 20 parks and recreation facilities, and over 50 recreational programs for year-round fun, the city’s Park and Recreation Department has something for everyone.

Brookings is home to several national and international businesses such as Daktronics, Inc., world leader of programmable electronic signs, Larson Manufacturing Co., the number one storm door manufacturer in America, Twin City Fan & Blower Co., an industry leading designer and manufacturer of high quality commercial and industrial fans, 3M Co., and Rainbow Play Systems, Inc., to name a few. Bustling with commerce, downtown Brookings is home to many service, specialty, entertainment, and retail businesses.

The Brookings School District, with its high academic excellence statistics and low student-teacher ratios, is among the best public educational K-12 systems in the state. Brookings is also home to South Dakota State University, the state’s largest and only Land-Grant University. With an enrollment of over 12,000 students, SDSU is renowned as a world-class research facility in technology and biosciences, and boasts exciting Division I athletics.

Quality health care is also a staple of the Brookings community. The Brookings Health System offers a full service hospital, a nursing center, and an independent living facility. Brookings is serviced by two major medical clinics and dozens of specialty health care providers. Many volunteer service organizations, civic clubs, and worship opportunities round out the high quality of life enjoyed in Brookings.
We’re confident you will agree that Brookings is truly someplace special!

This website is part of the ongoing effort made by the Mayor and City Council in furthering open government and informing residents and visitors about our community. We hope you will find it useful, and encourage you to contact us with comments or suggestions you have for improving Brookings.

Jeff Weldon, City Manager

Mission Statement

The City Manager's mission is to develop a responsive, dynamic, representative local government organization that continuously assesses its purpose and seeks the most effective and efficient techniques and technologies for serving the community.

The City of Brookings operates with the council-manager form of government adopted by a city charter in 1999. This government combines the strong political leadership of elected officials, in the form of the city council, with the professional experience of an appointed city manager.

Under this government, the mayor and council are responsible for making policy decisions for the community. The elected council hires a city manager to implement its policies. The manager serves at the pleasure of the council and has responsibility for preparing the budget, directing day-to-day operations, hiring and firing personnel, and serving as the council's chief policy advisor. While carrying out the Council's policy decisions, the city manager must provide vision and leadership to the organization.