This quote from County Commissioner, John Pekas, pretty much sums it up;
“We are the constant underfunded entity in the state of South Dakota,†Pekas said. “This is the perfect poetic situation. The state has a surplus, the city has a surplus and we are out of money.â€
I have often felt that there should be a shift in property tax dollars towards the county, I have also felt that the School Board, the County Commission and City Council should all have to approve a TIF with a 60% majority.
Trust me, if the law changed to allow this kind of approval process, no more TIF’s would be approved, and ironically, development would continue.
The county budget is 60 million. The city is 330 million. The city plans on building hotels at the airport & convention center. The county can’t afford social services for the growing working poor. The city gets justice center & jail services from the county. The city builds indoor sports facilities for the middle class. I have to agree with Pekas. Pekas for mayor so all classes of citizens are represented at city hall.
Anybody in favor of a petition drive to TIF the county 50 million annually for services the city should provide but the county is better at? Seriously, I’d start a drive but I don’t know where to start.
I’m in complete disbelief that the TIF process does not give two of the three major property tax recipients (school district and county) any veto power over a reduction in their revenues. What statutory authority does the city have to do this?
Oh ya, John Pekas for mayor.
Tom, it is one of the biggest, idiotic loopholes ever.