While there is certainly nothing wrong with having the mayor’s column on the city website, as a candidate he really should be refraining from posting a column until after the election. State law;
• SDCL 12-27-20. Expenditure of public funds to influence election outcome prohibited. The
state, an agency of the state, and the governing body of any county, municipality, or other
political subdivision of the state may not expend or permit the expenditure of public funds for the
purpose of influencing the nomination or election of any candidate, or for the petitioning of a ballot question on the ballot or the adoption or defeat of any ballot question. This section may
not be construed to limit the freedom of speech of any officer or employee of the state or any
political subdivision who is speaking in the officer’s or employee’s personal capacity. This
section does not prohibit the state, its agencies, or the governing body of any political
subdivision of the state from presenting factual information solely for the purpose of educating
the voters on a ballot question.
Paul says this in the opening line of the column;
As our community grows and new residents call Sioux Falls home, our community’s cultures, traditions, and experiences also continue to become even more vibrant.
That is an editorialized opinion of the mayor. If the column just presented statistics on diversity, I would say it was okay. Doesn’t it seem odd that all of sudden after almost 4 years on the job he seems to be embracing diversity when in 2020 when the Covid outbreak at Smithfield occurred he attributed it to poor hygiene of immigrants.
It doesn’t surprise me he continues to pretend he did something over the past 4 years besides socialist handouts to welfare developers and failed bunker ramps. In less than 40 days from an election he is suddenly concerned about diversity, affordable housing, childcare, employee bonuses and bringing in high tech cyber jobs. I would have to agree with Poops when he says he is NOT political, he has certainly shown us that during his first term he has failed as a politician.
But Poops isn’t the only one walking the fine line. Central District Candidate Jim Burzynski had a petition signing event either presented or sponsored by the All Saints Neighborhood Association. Neighborhood associations that are registered with the city and receive taxpayer grants cannot help or promote candidates. They can have forums, but all candidates must be invited.