South DaCola

Editorial Cartoonist from South Dakota

SF City Council

Elections SF City Council Sioux Falls

City of Sioux Falls 2022 Municipal Election Update

l3wis 2Comments

In all honesty, this really isn’t an update, because I got nothing but gossip, but let’s have fun anyway?

Mayoral Race; As it stands right now it is Paul TenHaken vs. my favorite Levitt dancer, Mr. David Zokaites. Some have speculated that others will drop their hat in this ring, but I am at a loss of words of who would.

Central District; Curt Soehl currently doesn’t have a challenger, but I suspect someone will emerge. Some names thrown around are Tom Hurlbert, Sierra Brussard and Emmett Riestroffer.

Southeast District; so far one person has announced for the empty seat that Ricky Lee Kiley will be leaving, David Barranco. I think David will have a challenger, but I’m not sure who that would be.

At Large (2 seats); There are 2 at large members, Brekke and Erickson. Erickson is term limited and will leave an open seat. The rumor is Zach DeBoer will announce he is running for that seat. Brekke is the incumbent for the other seat and I think she plans to run again.

It is pretty early in this, and I don’t expect any real commitments until after the 1st of the year but if you have any juicy, squirt it my way.

Art Christine Erickson Downtown Sioux Falls Rick Weiland for Senate SF City Council Sioux Falls

Councilor Erickson goes ape over $60k while giving millions in tax rebates to welfare developers

l3wis 4Comments

(FF: 16:40)

So this happened at the informational meeting on Tuesday, and I didn’t think much of the drama until people started nagging me about it;

Erickson said the Playhouse, formerly known as the Sioux Empire Community Theatre until August, currently owes $66,000 in debt to the city. She questioned why the debt had not been settled after it received $418,739 between several COVID-19 relief programs, including the Paycheck Protection Program and the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant.

First, let’s put some things in perspective. The Sioux Empire Community Theatre incurred this debt, not the current group and SMG let it grow to level it should not have. Once the Orpheum changed hands to the Pavilion’s management a payment program was set up. But in all reality, the city should have just wrote off the debt due to SMG and the previous theatre company no longer being in play. That would be the ‘logical’ thing to do

Some have asked me, “While Erickson has voted to give millions in TIF tax rebates to wealthy developers and voted for a failed $26 million dollar bunker ramp debacle why does she give a sh!t about this $60K debt?”

Well folks, this isn’t about the amount of debt it’s about who is being held hostage for the debt. The NEW organization’s president is no other than Mr. Rick Weiland, and this is an obvious attack on him politically as a prominent Democrat in our state and Christine’s cozy relationship with SD GOP leadership. It’s petty, and honestly the reason I didn’t say anything on Tuesday after witnessing her driveling. But par for course for the dirt bags that run that institution (out of Iowa).

Besides, if we really want to question the abuse of tax dollars by an arts org in Sioux Falls, we only have to look to the Washington Pavilion who is rumored to pay their director around or over $200K a year and has ravaged the entertainment tax year after year for millions in maintenance for a $19 million dollar building that cost us $50 million plus to complete and continues to drain us. Why doesn’t the city council just have a resolution that renames the tax the ‘Pavilion maintenance tax’? Let’s call it what it really is. And when are we going to get a financial report from them? Isn’t the director a Democrat?

Downtown Sioux Falls Elections Redistricting Sioux Falls SF City Council Sioux Falls

Sioux Falls Districting Commission Recommends New Map

l3wis 1Comments

They recommended C11A. I like it because it includes Whittier and Cathedral neighborhoods into the Central and further makes that district more diverse. This is only a recommendation (all members voted for it). It still has to go thru the public review process and be approved by the City Council.

I would also like to commend Chair Mark Millage and especially Commissioner Tom Hurlbert for pushing for this major change in the Central District it is something I think should have been done a long time ago. I have often felt that the Legislative District of 13 should look like this to.

Curt Soehl Downtown Sioux Falls Elections Redistricting Sioux Falls SF City Council Sioux Falls

If the Sioux Falls Districting Commission picks option C11 it would be a game changer for the Central District

l3wis 5Comments

While there are many options for the Districting Commission to review at their meeting on Wednesday, options C9 and especially C11 would be the biggest changes to the district in years. Not only would you make the Central the largest by population, you would really make it a core district again.

The discussion should be interesting.

Hopefully many candidates will be challenging Councilor Soehl for the Central District in the 2022 municipal election since he has been an utter failure delivering very little to the residents and homeowners of the district and more concerned about handing out millions in TIFs to DT parking ramps we don’t need while letting the residential streets of the core turn into the roads of Baghdad.

David Barranco Elections SF City Council Sioux Falls

First Rule of Fight Club, Pay your Taxes!

l3wis 4Comments

When I have helped with city council campaigns in the past, the first thing I remind people of is to ‘take care of the little things’ before announcing. Seems Mr. Barranco failed to tidy up a delinquent property tax bill before announcing running for city council;

Of course, this is no Federal Crime, he will likely have to pay a late payment fine and it will be all good. But I often tell people that if someone running for office can’t even manage the simple things in their personal lives, how can we expect them to serve us? Like I said, I could give 2 rips if he is late on his taxes, but this personal failure on his part certainly shows how much he will pay attention on the city council when managing OUR business, like when the city council hired a city clerk to run our elections that wasn’t even registered to vote. Just another rubber stamping, cruise control, seat warmer and little else.

« Previous Page — Next Page »

You Missed

Uncategorized

Glad I could be of assistance

Art Sioux Falls

The City of Sioux Falls lacks transparency? Get out!

Mayor TenHaken SF City Council Sioux Falls Sioux Falls Parks and Rec

UPDATE: Mayor ‘Kick the Can’ does it again

Uncategorized

Why do some British people not like Donald Trump? By Nate White