South DaCola

Editorial Cartoonist from South Dakota

Christine Erickson

Air BNB Christine Erickson Sioux Falls

Is it time Air BNB operators in Sioux Falls start paying a BID tax?

l3wis 9Comments

The hotels in Sioux Falls of a certain size have to pay into the BID tax. If you are long term rentals you have to pay taxes. If you are an Air BNB operator you just pay sales taxes;

AirBnB owners must register their property with City Hall as a rental.

Renting out a private residence as a bed and breakfast in Sioux Falls comes with other requirements, including applying for a $250 conditional use permit, making the necessary accommodations for off-street parking, registering with the state health department and filing a site plan of their home with officials.

In 2015, city officials raised a red flag when they found about 30 AirBnBs operating as rentals while breaking the law.

Last year, the San Francisco-based tech company agreed to collect sales tax from South Dakota renters.

But as we are seeing, it is becoming a very lucrative business for those operating it in Sioux Falls. And who can blame them? You make much more money from short term renters AND they are pre-vetted before they stay. In fact Sioux Falls city councilor Erickson and her Realtor husband have continued to expand their Air BNB business since it has been introduced in Sioux Falls.

What do you think? Should there be a separate BID tax for short term renters since they really are NOT supplying housing like long-term renters and are acting more like a hotel.

Christine Erickson Rick Kiley SF City Council SF School District Sioux Falls Taxes

Two Sioux Falls City Councilors supporting troublesome school bond issue

l3wis 12Comments

Councilors Kiley and Erickson have joined the drum beat of public officials who are encouraging people to vote yes for the school bond issue. It is well within their 1st Amendment rights to voice their opinions. What is troublesome though is that we have elected officials who support not only a dubious election but a very wasteful bond loan. For every $3 we put towards this in tax dollars over $1 goes towards interest and bond investors. Over a $100 million of tax dollars that will never be spent on education.

Another city councilor has worked behind the scenes to try to get the election to use ALL of the precincts, no E-Poll books and have the vote be electronically counted by the Minnehaha County Auditor. Their request fell on deaf ears.

The E-Poll books failed in the primaries because the company that created them no longer services them (Hart Interactiv) and another company, B-Pro has stepped in to try to get them to work. If the E-Poll books don’t work properly there is no way of knowing if people voted multiple times, and if they are hand counted, there is no way of knowing if ballots have been tampered with.

While the election process and extreme waste of tax dollars is troubling in itself, it upsets me even more that we have two public officials promoting this.

Talk about a lack of fiscal responsibility and democratic principles.

Christine Erickson Elections Planning Commission SF City Council Sioux Falls

AirBnB mysteriously changes from Bed & Breakfast zoning to short term rentals

l3wis 10Comments

Short term rental or short term friendship with the mayor?

First off, I agree with the city, a ‘short term rental’ like AirBnB should be just that, a rental. For it to be considered a Bed & Breakfast it has to have a ‘service’ kitchen that serves food to the renters that needs to be inspected by the health department. Since it does not, it is pretty much like any other apartment, but just for a shorter time. But this could ruffle the feathers of your homeowner neighbors who ARE not short term renters.

The rules seem simple. The state requires a tax license;

Beginning Sept. 1, Airbnb will begin collecting and remitting state and municipal taxes on all eligible bookings in South Dakota.

The City of Sioux Falls requires rental registration;

Short Term rental properties (such as Airbnb, VRBO, etc.)

This all makes sense, taxes paid, registrations in check.

But here is where it gets a little ‘sticky’ and all that ‘transparency’ thingy a lot of council candidates like to talk about lately. This story from 2015 paints another picture;

“A bed and breakfast requires a Conditional Use Permit and approval of the Planning Commission for that permit to be approved,” said Shawna Goldammer, Sioux Falls Zoning Enforcement Manager.

Goldammer says an Airbnb is considered a bed and breakfast. Chances are, Airbnb hosts are unknowingly operating illegally.

“What the ordinance does for us in Shape Places makes residential residential. So when you live in a residential area under a residential zoning district, you can expect residential in your neighborhood,” said Goldammer.

Like I said at the beginning, I don’t consider short term rentals a bed and breakfast. What I take issue with is that after Shape Places passed and Goldammer made these statements, somehow the rules disappeared into the night without any action from the city council . . . that I can find.

What is also very interesting is that council candidate and incumbent, Christine Erickson’s main business is ‘short term rentals’ and AirBnB. Please tell me the rules didn’t change quietly in the night after a secret handshake with our mayor and code enforcement?

The irony of this is that Erickson could have had a very public debate about it, and would have probably won and got citizen support. Or maybe not. Would you want to own a home next to a short term rental in a residential neighborhood? I have renters in my neighborhood, I don’t take issue with it, but it’s not a revolving door either.

I would really like to know how these rules just magically change when it affects a city councilor’s business and a mysteriously renewed friendship with the mayor.

Kind of like the Downtown Parking ramp deal, Erickson got a little back peddling to do.

Christine Erickson Elections Nick Weiland SF City Council Sioux Falls

Dem Forum; At-Large ‘B’ Candidate Forum, Erickson & Weiland

l3wis 1Comments

Notice later on in the debate how Erickson tries to blow off her involvement with the Downtown parking ramp. She mentions that Hultgren is no longer involved and Lamont properties is in charge.

Hmmmmm.

When Erickson sat on the SECRET RFQ (Request for Qualifications) Committee, she picked Legacy, ran by Norm Drake and Aaron Hultgren. When she voted for the Parking Ramp, it was being developed by Legacy, Norm and Aaron (no mention of Lamont). When it was found out that Norm, Aaron and company were dragging illegal asbestos across our city and being criminally investigated, Erickson voted AGAINST the repeal.

Don’t let Christine fool you, she was all in from the beginning with Norm and Aaron, and she continues to support a private/public partnership with a company that is being sued in civil court and criminally investigated by the Feds.

There ain’t no splaining that will get you out of that.

Christine Erickson Marty Jackley SF City Council Sioux Falls

Marty Jackboots to make a campaign stop at the Sioux Falls City Council Public Services meeting

l3wis 10Comments

I heard yesterday that Marty will be making the presentation to the council on Tuesday to talk about crime and drugs. I’m sure it has NOTHING to do with running for Governor.

It was sure nice of Councilor Erickson to invite our AG to campaign at Carnegie. The rumor in Republican circles she is on Jackboots ‘short list’ for possible Lt. Governor. First he has to beat Noem.

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