Thanks for the new crapper Sioux Falls taxpayers!
I have long known that our city leader’s priorities are not in line with a majority of the citizens, the circus that occurred at the informational meeting yesterday proved this.
Sioux Falls officials are seeking an $18.5 million quality-of-life bond for four projects ranging from a new west-side library to Big Sioux River greenway improvements.
Â
The improvements between Sixth and Eighth streets along the river have the highest price tag at $5 million, followed by a 15,000-square-foot library at $4.3 million, a junior football complex for $4.2 million and $2.5 million for zoo master-plan improvements.
Porridge trailer The library is the only part of this spending that makes sense. One of the biggest reasons this bond should not be approved is that the city is withholding information to the councilors on what the money will be spent on and details of the projects. Here are some of the (few) details that came out of the informational meeting;
– The library gave a fine presentation on what the money would be spent on and how the city determines when it will build another branch. It was a very detailed and well thought out presentation.
– The Zoo also gave a good presentation, but like I have said in the past poor use of taxpayer money.
– The Greenway project is a mess. Not sure if Director Cooper knows what they are doing with the project, or if he is just gonna wing it when he gets the money but the only thing he really could give details on was that they are removing the RR bridge at Falls Park and replacing it with a pedestrian bridge. Obviously that won’t cost $5 million. Staggers questioned Cooper about the rest of the projects planned in association with it and Cooper got a little nervous. He said he would get back to the council on that. So you are asking for $5 million but have no plan on how to spend it? Nice.
– As for the football fields, the city does have a plan on what they want to build, but the Jr. Football Association hasn’t raised the $1.4 million they promised to provide, and on top of that they haven’t signed a contract with the city saying they would provide that money yet. Only a handshake. I think until the Jr. Football Association signs a legally binding contract with the city saying they will provide $1.4 million by a certain timeframe we shouldn’t start or fund this project. We need to know for sure they are going to uphold their part of the deal, and we need more then a lousy handshake. There is also a gigantic mystery swirling around about the Hockey Rec center. When Staggers questioned the city about it, they all dummied up. That makes me suspicious that there will be more organizations asking for handouts in the future in this proposed sports complex area.
Whether you are for or against this bond doesn’t really matter, the council deserves to know what the money is being spent on before they approve the spending. Once again a bunch of blind mice following the Mayor to the money pit.