Why don’t we put the $500,000 in reserves?

Or better yet, spend it on street and infrastructure projects? It seems most of city government has their priorities screwed up;

Sioux Falls city councilors are planning two budget amendments in separate attempts to kill Mayor Mike Huether’s $500,000 request to develop his events center vision. It’s a spending plan one councilor called “irresponsible.”

Councilor Greg Jamison will introduce an amendment to distribute the $500,000 to other projects.

Jamison proposes using $250,000 on Carnegie Town Hall building improvements, which include the roof and $50,000 for downtown historic revitalization. He also is looking at using the other $200,000 on acquiring land for city parks – which was pushed back to 2013 under Huether’s capital plan.

C’mon. We all know Huether picked that $500,000 from the air. Let’s just not spend it at all. And it seems Poly is right about another City Hall mystery;

Another amendment on the table would move money for a vacant position in the mayor’s office to the City Council for a budget analyst position in the auditor’s office. The position was left open when Huether fired Chief of Staff Jodi Schwan.

Last month, Huether said he wasn’t sure what the title would be or whether he even needs the position. It won’t be a chief of staff, Huether said.

So you allocate money for a position that doesn’t or won’t exist? I call bullshit on the mayor. If you are not going to fill that position (because you are a control freak) then why allocate the money? Time to come clean, Mr. Secretive Private Corporate Executive. Things don’t work that way in the public sector Mike. And when the council votes down your Events Center budget line item on Monday night, I hope you learn a lesson about working behind closed doors; It fails most of the time.

I’m also told you be able to view the amendments here by late Friday afternoon.