. . . , city debt was about $277 million in 2010, jumped to $399 million in 2012 (based on a voter approved events center*) and will stand at about $339 million as of the end of 2017. From there it is projected to decline to about $275 million by 2022 and that includes bonding for projects such as the administration building, downtown parking ramp and wastewater plant improvements.
I find the $339 million dollar figure a little interesting, but believable. I know some bonds have come to their end over the past 5 years, so it is possible.
*The EC vote was an ‘advisory vote’ and didn’t give the citizens any power to authorize the bonds for the facility, the city council authorized them after the ‘non-legal suggestion’ from the public.
A father wants answers and closure following the accidental death of his son but no one in authority will help him. Most involved seem to have a reason to not help Brian Neal of Sioux Falls. So on June 28, 2017 he attended the Sioux Falls Regional Medical Authority (REMSA) meeting in search of anyone who would help him figure out why a phantom ambulance was sent first for his dying son back in April.
No ambulances available is a daily occurrence in Sioux Falls, SD. So what do we do about it? We do not condone this behavior or blame our hard working ambulance staff. Like Brian, we are looking for answers to many questions.
Remember our contract compliant ambulance service? You know the one, proudly exclaiming they found an answer to Level Zero or “no ambulances available†service? Their answer is to issue a 980 call, sending out a phantom ambulance to keep contract compliant.
How many phantom ambulances have you seen on Sioux Falls streets since the program mere mortals aren’t able to understand, was put into effect? Our city of Sioux Falls Health department actually said it was too complicated to explain so guess what? We have to accept people dying or permanently disabled because the phantom 980 ambulance didn’t show up.
Just ask your neighbors, the Orvilles, Brians, Joshuas and more searching for answers while missing all or part of their lives. Do you want to be the next victim of a contract compliant phantom ambulance or a served by a real one?
Honorably discharged veterans now qualify for shopping online at military exchanges (retail & some services). Active duty and National Guard already use this shopping. The full service starts November 11 but there’s ‘beta tests’ at present. If you’re a vet, go to VetVerify.org. There’s typically a 20 percent DISCOUNT with special arrangements for major purchases (appliances/cars). Prices are not posted until you’re logged in securely. NO SALES TAX.
Given South Dakota government is principally supported by sales tax, there’s significant budget repercussion. The state is 860K with 68K veterans. Veteran dependents can use the service such that there is potential for more than 100K total customers. Retail sales could decline 10% or more at first with awareness potential for 15% by 2020. Reporting is exempt. Some shopping sites let you fill in false information and make purchases.
Sales were focused more on the two major cities in the state. Internet sales is why there are so many empty store fronts.
Sioux Falls has had and (because of this) will continue having revenue short falls. It’s more than just Amazon and other tax free online purchases. There are signs the booming economy is over. It will be harder to make bond payments on the half billion in debt. This is not a time for play places, admin buildings, or parking garages. It’s important to amend the charter so there’s no strong mayor veto power and no council overrides. Take away the mayors’ credit card and put him on an allowance.
Thank you South Dacola for this blog site. This information doesn’t get reported by the media and certainly not as a local government public service announcement.
As I understand it, the petitioners will be at Falls Park collecting signatures for tax opt-out on 4th of July. So celebrate America, FREE pork sandwiches, and your right to petition your government.
Publisher’s Note: I encourage everyone to watch this entire video. When I advocate for transparency and recording ALL public meetings, there are reasons why; important discussions and decisions are made in these VOLUNTEER PUBLIC BOARD MEETINGS. While it may make the board members uncomfortable, open government is important. If any of these members take issue with this, they can, at anytime, for any reason resign.
Don’t you love it when we call for an ambulance and they send out the phantom? Why should you expect an ambulance to show up in an emergency? Who do you think you are anyway? 980, what’s a 980?
Recently speakers in this video went public stating the use of the phrase “phantom” ambulances when they aren’t sending you one was a bad choice of words. Not bad policy, just a bad use of words. This city board is the Sioux Falls Regional Emergency Medical Authority or REMSA. Listen for the problem we have with this board’s responsibility. A 980 ambulance is a phantom or fake ambulance. A method designed to skirt contract penalties for not showing up.
The board’s mission is contract compliance first. Got that? We have a contract to give an authorized ambulance monopoly to a company who hornswoggled our town’s top notch contract negotiators. Nowhere in the contract is patient care the top priority. We have city employees who seem to find ways to keep 980 or phantom ambulances in contract compliance while people drive themselves to the hospital, if they are still breathing.
This meeting usually lasts less than an hour on the last Wednesday of the month if they meet at all in an out of the way meeting room in the health department. They complain the public doesn’t show up to see them and then don’t want to be recorded. Well, Cameraman Bruce decided to show up on June 28, 2017 to catch the public’s phantom 980 wambulance wrath.
l3wis 
