Replay of me on Lalley’s Show
l3wis 
September 2017
Councilor Starr Points out the Super Secret Operations Committee
Ah, secrecy, the thing that makes this Sioux Falls administration tick. What would we do if we actually had open and transparent government in Sioux Falls? We’re hard pressed to answer the question and in this video you will see Michelle Erpenbach proudly explain why she helped start the secret committee of the Sioux Falls City Council when Pat Starr finishes Cameraman Bruce’s questioning.
Remember September 5, 2017 as the spring 2018 elections roll in. We have a short time to prepare to open the books on the mess left by our chief marketing officer and his staff. Enough of this secrecy.
Sioux Falls Councilor Stehly asks for right to circulate petitions
Theresa has contacted the media by sending out this email after being told last year by the city attorney that she CANNOT circulate a petition for a city initiative or referendum. She is hoping the assistant city attorney, Danny Brown, will have a different opinion on the manner, especially since there doesn’t seem to be any state laws banning the practice.
There has also been some rumblings amongst cititizens that if the city council with the assistance of the mayor passes an amendment to raise the threshold for city councilors to be elected to 51% there would be a petition drive. The petition drive would also include numerous other charter amendments.
From Stehly;
Good Morning Danny,
I am requesting that your office give me a public statement on my legal right to circulate municipal petitions.
Please address :
- My right to circulate a Sioux Falls municipal citizen petition. (This could be an initiative, referendum or charter revision effort.)
- My right  to lead a Sioux Falls municipal citizen petition drive. (This could be an initiative, referendum of charter revision effort.)
I know of several City Council members who have participated in the circulating of municipal petitions in the past. We also have had our Minnehaha County Commissioners leading a petition drive. I am inspired by Mark Mickelson’s leadership of the statewide petition drive that is happening at this time.
I will be sharing this information with the public.
Thanks for your response,
Theresa Stehly
What do you think about an elected official running a petition drive? Personally I don’t take issue with it. I don’t agree with Mickelson’s petition, but I do think he has the right to circulate it.
Guest on KSOO AM 1000 today
I will be on the Good Ship Lalley Pop show at 4:15 PM today. Not sure what is on the docket for discussion, but I’m sure we will be talking about all the peeps running for mayor and city council. I will also try to get in a little about my ordinance review. Tune In.
UPTOWN II Tax Increment Financing (TIF) DOES NOT benefit the public
You can watch the whole Sioux Falls Planning Meeting,
notice how there is almost ZERO discussion before approving the Lloyd TIF. How ironic, our planning commission will horse trade for 45 minutes over the timing of a church’s electronic billboard but spend only a few seconds on giving away a $4.1 million dollar tax rebate to a wealthy developer.
Heck, even after George Hahn came and pointed out their tax valuations were incorrect and the TIF should be deferred until those numbers can be corrected, they still marched forward.
Hey, what’s a few million here and few million there when we are short changing public education? They will just raise taxes on the worker bees to make up for it.