If you are running for mayor or city council for the 2018 Municipal election, you should have your work cut out for you.
There will be 3 main campaign issues that I think will dominate;
• Crime: While crime in Sioux Falls hasn’t gotten out of control and is manageable, the increasing violent crime rate over the past 5 years should concern us. The candidate(s) that come up with a leading solution(s) while making the public still feel safe will garner attention. I have suggested concentrated patrolling, more neighborhood watch programs and educating the public about what to look for when it comes to suspicious activity (drug dealing, domestic violence, etc.) Also an increased social media presence.
• Affordable Housing: It is probably the NUMBER ONE issue affecting Sioux Falls right now, but it is closely tied into with crime. When people don’t have a decent place to live or a decent job to pay for it, it breeds crime. I suggest the next mayor and city council take away focus from big development and TIFS (urban sprawl) and concentrate on the core and proper of Sioux Falls. First off, big development will survive, they have plenty support from private investors and banks. Plus urban sprawl only hurts our infrastructure budget (building more NEW infrastructure means more to take care of). We need to concentrate more on community development loans to private homeowners and landlords of small apartment complexes. Not only can they be helped with NO or LOW interest development loans, there are plenty of Federal grants they can apply for. This of course will take bigger staff to go door to door in these neighborhoods and promote this kind of revitalization. It will also have to come from the real estate and mortgage banking industry willing to invest in first time home buyers and young families to rebuild these older neighborhoods. Another measure tied into this would be passing a city ordinance minimum wage within SF city limit of at least $10 an hour.
• Transparency: This is just a given. We have had one of the most secretive administrations to date. Trust me, Munson and Hanson were not much better, but Huether has taken his dictatorship (home rule charter) to heart. Heck, our local paper had to sue in Supreme Court to get a contract (and they may lose the case). The next council and mayor need to open the books and communication, and it shouldn’t even be a fight, it should just be done. A healthy democracy depends on it.