You can agree or disagree with the reasons why tax revenue is down in Sioux Falls;
Turbak says there are two main reasons the sales tax collections are down: First, because of continued growth of online sales where the City can’t collect sales taxes and because farmer spending is down.
While I agree they are TWO factors, I truly believe the number one factor is just spending in general, people have cut back. You also have to take into account that much of the city population growth last year occurred in woman’s wombs – we had a lot of new borns. They don’t work and they don’t spend money and more then likely, they are born to lower income families who get food on assistance and don’t pay for it. We can blame farmers and online sales all we want, but we also have to look at reality. If farmers are not spending money, maybe the rest of us are not either.
The next mayor is going to have to be very stingy, not only because of Mayor Play Palaces bonding spree which ties us to millions in mortgage and maintenance costs each year but because the revenue stream is low.
There are QUICK policy changes the next mayor can implement in the first 90 days;
• Cut most of the mid-managers. We pay most of the directors and sub-directors 6-figures a year, there is no reason they need managers below them doing their jobs for $70-80K a year. I would probably cut them from most of the departments saving the city millions in our 1st penny for operations.
• Focus the 2nd penny on infrastructure (mostly roads) and parks land maintenance and cut any unneeded programs for at least two-years.
• As for our enterprise funds, which support sewer and water, any new corporations coming into Sioux Falls should help share at least 50% of the cost of infrastructure costs and upgrades.
Like I said, the next mayor, whether they are socially liberal or conservative will have no choice but to be a fiscal conservative when it comes to city finances. We have to fix the last mayor racking up the parents credit card.
You might want to familiarize yourself with the laws governing civil service before printing out all those pink slips there Detroit.
Yes, babies who don’t pay taxes and agriculture is down. Another thing is the boomer majority don’t spend. Everyone dresses casual. Goodwill does more business than Macy’s. The only thousand dollar suits are the mayor, city directors, and two councilors. Try Amazon Prime for groceries. They don’t recognize South Dakota for tax on food. The city is overextended. There’s not enough revenue to make bond payments. Mike Huether should lead North Korea so they’ll not have money to make nukes.
there has been no mayor in the history of sioux falls more fiscally conservative than mmm. just ask him, stu whitney, or financial expert greg belgrage.
Big A. I think you might be thinking of a non exempt employee. Exempt? Not so much.
Good idea on the future use of enterprise funds and reeling in prospective employers. To land the anchor tenant of foundation required a lot of bait on a hook that is landing a dozen forklift jobs. Water and sewer rates were raised, and will continue to be raised on the working class, so 38 million can be spent on sewer lines to runaway growth outposts like foundation.
along daniels train of thought i used to stop
in salv army on north cliff being a cheap poor ass
when sf was a home
no shortage of escalades und big giant chevy suburbans
must be ebaying all the good stuff
und these same people would
walk out of the mission on the other corner
carrying impossible dimensions of day or more free old bread
funny aint it
iaal
obg
block my posts at your discretion i truly like
all of you
If anyone’s thinking of running for mayor, run and don’t stop until you’re into Minnesota. Huether has left overwhelming debt, out of control crime, and poor that are poorer or homeless. There are new play places if they don’t implode but we can’t afford them and they’re reserved for the rich. Someone must take the mayors job. I wish them luck but recovery is not for two terms if then.