Walks like a duck, smells like a fish. Not sure what to think after watching the latest episode of the Sioux Falls School District working session. Besides the fact that no one can speak into a microphone properly, there is a lot of missing data;
• How much will the bond cost over it’s 25 year life span? I’m guessing north of $300 million. And when you tack that on to city debt and county debt for a jail and another opt out for the county we are looking at around $700 million in debt for the jurisdiction of Sioux Falls. Getting really spendy to live here.
• How much will that $2 a month property tax increase compound over the next 25 years? Oh, that’s right, more crickets.
• A $190 million dollar bond with a $40 million dollar ‘slush fund’ for ‘TLC’ that they will figure out ‘later’. That’s frugal and strategic planning at it’s best.
• A survey postcard sent to (some) unregistered voters with a 4.5% return on an unscientific online poll to which school board member Alberty commented was ‘reassuring’. Kent, I was in tears after that comment.
• Record commercial building permits over the past decade, so why isn’t the property tax revenue there? Seriously? WHY!!!!????
• How will the special election be held? They claim it must happen in September to secure the 2019 budget per state law, yet this is a local bond issue that doesn’t effect the regular operating budget AND will be funded locally AND can be amended later in the budget. In other words, they could hold this election with the general in November at little cost to the district. So why don’t they? Greed? Manipulation? Our county auditor sucks? Well, that last one is true.