Pat had been floating the idea since this Fall and has decided to announce he will be running. There are 2 incumbents, one is running for sure, not sure about the other one. There is also a former school district super running for the seat.

The School Board election is in coordination with the city council election in April. The top two vote getters will win a seat on the board.

FOR IMMEDIATE Release

City Councilor Announces Candidacy for Sioux Falls School Board

Sioux Falls, SD – February 7, 2024 – Pat Starr, a Sioux Falls City Councilor, announced today that he is running for the Sioux Falls Sioux Board.

Starr has served on the Sioux Falls City Council for the past 7-plus years. He is term-limited on the City Council at the end of his current term in May.

With a commitment to the betterment of the Sioux Falls School District, and the empowerment of students, parents, and educators, Starr brings a wealth of experience and passion to this crucial role.

With Starr’s experience in public service, he understands the unique challenges and opportunities facing our schools. With a background in business Starr is well-prepared to collaborate with stakeholders and enact positive change.

If elected, Starr pledges to:

• Advocate for equitable access to quality education for all students.
• Foster a safe, inclusive, and nurturing learning environment.
• Support innovative teaching methods and curriculum development.
• Promote transparency and accountability within the school system.
• Listen to the concerns and ideas of students, parents, teachers, and community members.

“I am proud of my service on the Sioux Falls City Council. I have a consistent voting record of never voting for a tax increase in almost 8 years. I have been a voice for those in the community who haven’t had a voice. I plan to take that record with me to the Sioux Falls School Board.”
The Sioux Falls School Board election is on April 9, 2024, in conjunction with the Sioux Falls City Council election.

During the last city council meeting on Monday night, public inputers were asked to sign a sheet when they came to the podium so they could get the spelling of folks names for the record.

FOR THE RECORD, you don’t have to sign any piece of paper, in fact, you don’t even have to give your first or last name.

I encourage folks going to speak at the council meetings to NOT sign the sheet. Your 1st Amendment rights should NOT be infringed on. If you want to give your full name and address, go for it, nothing stopping you, but just so you know, there is NO lawful purpose for taking your name, it is just an intimidation tactic to discourage folks from speaking.

The more I think about the lackluster presser on Monday about the Rec Center at the current convention center space and a new CC at the Riverline area, I think this is just a scam (an idea former city councilor Jamison had before they built the EC. His idea was to build the EC downtown in coordination with a new convention center and convert the current CC into a rec center).

• Why does the city have to purchase the land at the Riverline District?

• If the council agrees with the purchase of the land, how will we bond for it?

• What will be done about train traffic, flooding, natural springs under Nelson Park.

This just sounds like another sweetheart developer deal where the city becomes the land broker (like Phillips to the Falls) and while the private sector figures out their crap and investors the city sits on the land, collecting NO property taxes, then when the private partners come in, they are handed another tax break with a TIF.

The timing is also questionable, right before a massive bond is going to be taken out for quality of life ($70-80 million). Are they going to slip the purchase of Riverline in on this? And if so, is that even appropriate?

I think it is a good idea to build a CC downtown, but this time around it should be the private sector that handles it. Just look at the current CC and EC, we have practically ZERO ROI on these facilities. While the management takes in millions in sales and profits on the EC, the taxpayers get to pay the almost $10 million a year mortgage. If the EC is doing so well, shouldn’t those profits be shared with the taxpayers so we can use the funds for paying the mortgage? Right now all we collect is sales taxes, and they barely cover maintenance on the facility.

A convention center is just a money pit, once all the grifters feed at the trough, it is up to the minions to pay off the bonds.

If the city wants to get involved in the future with the Riverline, GREAT, but the taxpayers shouldn’t be land brokers, let the private sector sit on this land and pay taxes on it until they figure out their grand ‘Vision’ (ironically an idea from over a decade ago).

Also, there is NO need for indoor municipal rec space. This city has tons of private facilities and so do the school districts.

This very important, helpful bill is up early Thursday), 7:45am (6:45 Mt).

   HB1223 would allow a mom(or a dad with custody) to get childcare assistance without having to cooperate with child support enforcement.

   This applies after parents split up. Relationships can be messy. There could be good reasons for not involving child support.

   The main point is: If we want the custodial parent to have the opportunity for employment, she’s going to need childcare. House Health & Human Services committee. Urge these rep’s to Support HB1223: Gary.Cammack@sdlegislature.gov ;  Fred.Deutsch@sdlegislature.gov; Joe.Donnell@sdlegislature.gov; Erin.Healy@sdlegislature.gov; Mellissa.Heermann@sdlegislature.gov; Kevin.Jensen@sdlegislature.gov; David.Kull@sdlegislature.gov; Scott.Moore@sdlegislature.gov; Brian.Mulder@sdlegislature.gov; Kameron.Nelson@sdlegislature.gov; Taylor.Rehfeldt@sdlegislature.gov; Brandei.Schaefbauer@sdlegislature.gov; Mike.Weisgram@sdlegislature.gov ,

Reminder:

— HB1238 would let kids from households over the reduced-price meal cut off get to eat school meals at the reduced price. (family income 185-209% of poverty level). House Education tomorrow-Wednesday 7:45am(6:45 Mt). Ask these rep’s to Support this helpful bill: Amber.Arlint@sdlegislature.gov , Byron.Callies@sdlegislature.gov , Roger.DeGroot@sdlegislature.gov , Fred.Deutsch@sdlegislature.gov , Eric.Emery@sdlegislature.gov ,  Mellissa.Heermann@sdlegislature.gov ,  Phil.Jensen@sdlegislature.gov ,Scott.Moore@sdlegislature.gov , Brian.Mulder@sdlegislature.gov , Scott.Odenbach@sdlegislature.gov ,  Tim.Reisch@sdlegislature.gov , Stephanie.Sauder@sdlegislature.gov , Bethany.Soye@sdlegislature.gov , Mike.Stevens@sdlegislature.gov , Tyler.Tordsen@sdlegislature.gov ,

HB1238.

Updates

—   Sad news. SB156 failed.( free tuition for tribal members at state schools)

—   Good news. SJR506 failed (7-0) (crazy ideas re guns)

More bills on hot topics will be up next week. The legislature does not meet this Friday.

Thanks for being a voice for people who need our voices.

________________________________________

Since Cory decided to fly the coop (what’s going on with that fella anyhoos?) I decided to start posting Cathy’s Legislative updates.

Advocates,

Maybe you can get a note off on these in time.

—   SB156, free tuition for tribal members at state schools, will be up in Senate Education tomorrow(Tue) 7:45am(6:45 Mt). Sorry for the short notice. Ask these senators to Support this helpful bill: Shawn.bordeaux@sdlegislature.gov, Sydney.Davis@sdlegislature.gov, steve.kolbeck@sdlegislature.gov,  Liz.Larson@sdlegislature.gov,  Tom.Pischke@sdlegislature.gov ,  Tim.Reed@sdlegislature.gov , kyle.schoenfish@sdlegislature.gov,

— HB1238 would let kids from households over the reduced-price meal cut off get to eat school meals at the reduced price. (family income 185-209% of poverty level). House Education Wednesday 7:45am(6:45 Mt). Ask these rep’s to Support this helpful bill: 

Amber.Arlint@sdlegislature.gov , Byron.Callies@sdlegislature.gov , Roger.DeGroot@sdlegislature.gov , Fred.Deutsch@sdlegislature.gov , Eric.Emery@sdlegislature.gov ,  Mellissa.Heermann@sdlegislature.gov ,  Phil.Jensen@sdlegislature.gov ,Scott.Moore@sdlegislature.gov , Brian.Mulder@sdlegislature.gov , Scott.Odenbach@sdlegislature.gov ,  Tim.Reisch@sdlegislature.gov , Stephanie.Sauder@sdlegislature.gov , Bethany.Soye@sdlegislature.gov , Mike.Stevens@sdlegislature.gov , Tyler.Tordsen@sdlegislature.gov ,

—  SJR506 has been mentioned before, so here’s where it is. (As I read it: Tax off guns and ammo. Violent people, people threatening violence, etc. may keep the guns until the conviction. Then only the one gun involved would be taken away.) It is up in Senate Judiciary tomorrow(Tue) 7:45am(6:45 Mt). Sorry for the short notice. Ask these senators to Oppose : Helene.Duhamel@sdlegislature.gov ;  Michael.Rohl@sdlegislature.gov ; David.Wheeler@sdlegislature.gov; Brent.Hoffman@sdlegislature.gov; Jim.Stalzer@sdlegislature.gov; Jim.Mehlhaff@sdlegislature.gov, Joshua.Klumb@sdlegislature.gov,

— Updates today:

? SB119 Passed the Senate today(29-3), tribal ID for voter registration. So that’s good. (But it now has an amendment so that it won’t start until Jan.1, 2025. The sponsor proposed it, so I guess we can’t complain. Maybe he had to in order to get it passed.) Now we want the House to pass it. I’m guessing it will go to House State Affairs.

?? SJR510, on food tax, was voted down(3-27) on the Senate floor today. Very disappointing.

— If you are wondering, as we are, SJR501 (Medicaid work requirement ??) and HB1184 (Summer EBT ?) are not up this week. The soonest they will be up is next Monday.

Mayor TenHaken admitted during the presentation that their really is no plan, except maybe a new convention center and rec center.

He also made this announcement at a public building and chaired the presser, there was NO public notice on the city website for this meeting. While no official action took place, you could technically call it just a presser, but with city money and property being involved, there should have been a public notice.

Like most pie in the sky ideas from this mayor, they lack details and transparency which means they probably won’t make the finish line. The ‘Vision’ that was presented today was sold to the listening public (and kids bussed in from daycare) on the premise we are behind on indoor rec space. While Paul is correct, the city lacks PUBLIC indoor rec space, it certainly probably has more private indoor rec space then any city our size in the country. As Neitzert pointed out there is a gym on every corner. Not to mention every school in this city has tons of indoor rec space.

Maybe the city needs to build a municipal casino to compete with all the video lottery casinos?

While I agree the Convention Center should be downtown, I think the city should move to make the actual convention business private and get out of investing public money in it. (we had an opportunity with the new EC to do this, but when you have a credit card salesman running the town, this is what you get, lost opportunity).

After watching this lackluster presser that reminded me more of an episode of Mr. Rogers neighborhood, I have come to the conclusion that not much is going to happen anytime soon at the Riverline District.

Remember Phillips to the Falls? The city sat on that property, collecting NO taxes for 10 years, then turned around and handed it over to a developer with a TIF to boot.