UPDATE: As you heard in the press conference, our city clerk is refusing to stamp the petition with a ‘Received’ stamp. It is common place for the receiving clerk to stamp a petition. Tom Greco’s excuse is he doesn’t want to be in the middle of what he was in 2016 and ‘stop the funding’ petition. It’s simple then, there are two other city clerks who can stamp it if you don’t want to do your job Tom. Hopefully it will be resolved tomorrow so they can start collecting signatures. We are not allowing this to go to court like it did in 2016. Enough of the games, let the process of petition gathering and an election take place, and let the voters decide.
PRESS RELEASE
Today, Monday, August 5, 2019, a group of voter in Sioux Falls SD announced their formation of Triple Check The Charter for the purpose of proposing a redefinition of the Sioux Falls City Council.
Press Conference Details:
Where: Just east of the Great Outdoors Store, 201 E 10th St, Sioux Falls, SD
Date: Monday, August 5, 2019
Time: 2:00 pm
25 years ago the voters passed the home rule form of government permitting the City Council and Mayor to operate without direct interference of the state government in its daily operation. It functions, but the growth has come without looking at the long term process implications. Sioux Falls is at a point where voter and taxpayer protections need to be in the Charter. Election games and strange tie-breaking votes have allowed unnecessary building projects to jeopardize taxpayers. Voters must periodically look at the charter and offer modifications. In charter, there is a way for voters to be involved, a petition.
A Sioux Falls group has formed, Triple Check the Charter, to ask the voters to approve home rule charter updates. The Triple Check the Charter petition drive and vote allows
(1) a return to simple Council elections,
(2) allows the Mayor to leave the Council to concentrate on managing the city plus
(3) require a super majority of members to pass bonding.
The charter amendment process requires at least 5% of Sioux Falls registered voters (5,250) to sign petitions and then vote, to improve the Home Rule by implementing positive functional changes to the Sioux Falls City Council. For more information, to sign petition or get one to circulate, call 376-8087.
Bruce Danielson PO Box 491 Sioux Falls, SD 57101 Cell: (605) 376-8087 Email: bruce@brdan.com
They should call it what it is “The Huether amendmentsâ€
I hope they all pass.
Would have better if you could of heard it. Windy and loud. Least ol Bruce is trying
It’s obvious the city opposes democracy. Indeed the charter is not democracy. If the state could intervene, like they could before Strong Mayor Charter, the city clerk would be charged for civil rights infraction. I’d like to see another constitutional lawsuit such that the SD Supreme Court could supervise installation of a new charter. Meanwhile, the city clerk has the game ball he’ll take home so the game ends and we lose our only form of exercising our liberty.
“… he doesn’t want to be in the middle of what he was in 2016 …”
If this is the case and he is unable or unwilling to perform his duty, the resolution is simple. Please resign from your position Mr. Greco.
The City Clerk holds an important position in our local government. He is compensated at 97,094.40 plus benefits for his work.
If stamping this petition is a part of his official duties, and he refused to do so, then he should be terminated.
But wait, the person who would have to terminate his employment with the City is none other than Paul TenHaken. And, do you believe Tom Greco made the decision to NOT stamp the petition on his own without first consulting with the Mayor, his two COS(s), and the City Attorney?
I wonder who finally stamped the petition, ‘RECEIVED’?
Fortunately it got worked out, and petition gathering will begin today.
The city clerk works for the city council. They would need 5 votes to terminate him.
so the city clerk will make less than the culture officer?