“I can’t tell you there’s a flower hanging in front of every business or there’s an event in front of every business,” Downtown Sioux Falls President Dan Statema said. “What I can tell you is that all these things together have an effect on the value of downtown.”
As I reported, DTSF is awash in money from special assessments. And the Gargoyle Leader finally woke up from their two-week sleep and reported on the story today;
A Sioux Falls real estate firm is suing the city over a special assessment collected each year to pay for the operations of Downtown Sioux Falls.
Ronning Cos. calls its $6,500 bill an unconstitutional tax because it receives nothing tangible for paying the organization behind Hot Summer Nights, First Fridays and the Parade of Lights.
While I don’t have a problem with a special assessment for businesses that might gain something from DT entertainment or niceties, I do think it is a little ridiculous to charge a glass shop and apartment building for this stuff and councilor Anderson agrees.
Councilor Kenny Anderson Jr. wasn’t entirely convinced. Businesses such as Glass Pros deserve to have the option of opting out, he said. Anderson was the only councilor to vote against the yearlong contract.
“I wanted to know what services they get for their dollars, and I didn’t get an answer,” he said.
Anderson said he supports downtown improvement but needs to know things are done fairly.
“If we’re going to have a partnership between Downtown Sioux Falls and the city, I would like to make sure things are operating above board,” he said.
There should be an opt-out. Chalk-up another unconstitutional practice by the city and their Home-Rule government.