City Councilman: Gas prices in Mitchell ‘disgusting’

• Phil Carlson

Phil Carlson

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Councilman Phil Carlson wanted to put it on the record: “The gas prices in Mitchell are horrible,” he said at the start of Monday night’s council meeting.

Carlson spoke out about the price of a gallon of gas in Mitchell during the meeting and put his foot to the pedal to amplify the comments after it ended.

He said he paid $2.94 per gallon in Sioux Falls recently and saw gas selling for $3.19 per gallon in Lake Andes, Aberdeen and Huron.

Meanwhile, the price at Casey’s in downtown Mitchell was $3.27 Monday night, Carlson said.

Heather Weberg, Casey’s assistant manager, said she wasn’t sure why gas prices were so much higher here.

“It seems like Mitchell has always had higher prices than Sioux Falls, which makes no sense to me personally,” Weberg said. “I don’t know why it is.”

Carlson said he was “sick of it” and felt compelled to make a very public point of his displeasure.

Former councilman Scott Houwman, who was at the meeting, said outside the council chambers that Mitchell’s property taxes help keep local gas prices high.

When told this, Carlson said he would want someone to make a compelling case for that before he accepted that as the reason.

He said one thing he does know: Mitchell’s gas prices are much higher than those in other South Dakota cities and towns.

“I think it’s disgusting the merchants of Mitchell are charging so much,” Carlson said.

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