Well, I would have to give Jodi Fick a gold star for honesty. After being voted in by the Sioux Falls city council tonight she freely admits she is a 30 year resident of Minnesota, though she calls Sioux Falls her home, she will gladly keep commuting. She gave this information freely without anyone asking. (Go to last item on agenda).
I suggested a couple of months ago to a city councilor that SFPD and SFFD and all city managers and directors should be Sioux Falls residents (mainly for safety reasons and being on call). But you could also probably say that about most city employees. It would be a simple ordinance change, and you could grandfather in current out-of-town employees, and only apply to new employees that would be willing to move to SF within 90 days of their hire date.
In Fick’s defense, she very well could live anywhere in Minnehaha County because she is also a county employee, but at least SD.
Why do I think this important? Besides the safety of having city employees close to their work, it has to do with tax base. Do you think it is fair for someone making 6 figures a year from our tax dollars isn’t contributing to her own wage and tax base?
Maybe I am making mountains out of mole hills, what do you think?
I think it’s important government department managers are a part of the tax base they draw a wage from. She has no skin in the game.
Was she a SiouxLand Library employee? It really pisses me off that we cant find employees for these positions out of the existing staff. Give people a chance to step up into new roles, otherwise were just rehiring the same tired ideas.
Does she owned a RV? If so, she could just register it here and call herself a resident…. She could even vote here too under that premise – and I am sure Minnesota would be more than happy to continue to collect income tax from her via the Sioux Falls coffers…..
Mountain. I doubt there are that many librarian emergencies requiring a response. Besides, MN is not that far away. I’m more concerned about the city finding the best they can, not the closest.
LJL, I believe she was the assistant director and has worked for the library for over 20 years.
Seems silly to me.
Not sure I understand LJL’s idea (“Give people a chance to step up into new roles, otherwise were just rehiring the same tired ideas.”)
I think newer approaches and perspectives are more likely to come from other communities then from “within the ranks.”
These employees are public servants not elected officials. The residency issue for public safety employees can be better dealt with by some reasonable requirement of commuting time.
We should be upset if FKA Winston finds out there’s an RV parked in the SF Public Library lot…
We may all live in MN but keep a PO Box here. City services and debt are issues. Add corruption and foolish projects. Theres no tax on food or clothing in MN and no income tax in SD. Vehicle registration is 2/3 cheaper here. Someone who’s learned to manipulate the system is a genius. It’s refreshing to know some of the population is not call center vegetables. Will she run for mayor?
Hey, the mayor lives 70 miles away. It’s better than what’s become of the city during his 2 terms. He prefers a dry lake in the remote tundra. It’s away from the crime problem and homes (McKennon Park) are not built on top of each other.
Would be more of a problem for literacy if they had hired someone from the bad-grammar-lands north of Dell Rapids.
Sales tax oriented Sioux Falls is in trouble. Both K-Marts and Tre are closing. City employees live and buy in Minnesota. I’m wondering when a new Mall of America will open 10 miles east on I-90 where there’s no tax on food or clothing. Don’t buy city bonds. There’s gonna be default and there’s no more pay day loans or Huether Monopoly money.