As if we didn’t do enough monument building in the past 8 years, here we go down that rabbit hole again;

If the Sioux Falls Canaries get a new home anytime soon, it should go downtown.

That’s one of the takeaways from a report that’s been shared with the Sioux Falls City Council that resulted from an intensive study of city-owned entertainment and convention facilities that took place last fall.

Here we go again. A consultant that taxpayers paid for are telling us what the administration wants us to hear. Think Midco Aquatic Facility. When is the city instead going to ask for public input on these matters instead of an expensive consultant?

Sioux Falls Stadium is 55 years old and hasn’t had any major upgrades in nearly two decades. The report says annual attendance averages there have declined steadily since 2013, which could be a result of the game experience that an outdated facility provides patrons.

A new stadium and a more active location could bring those attendance numbers back up, according to the report.

Maybe numbers are down because people don’t care? Why not ask the public? With all the different entertainment options these days in Sioux Falls, maybe people just are not as interested in baseball as much?

If I was the city council, I would explore some options. 1) Tear down the stadium for more parking at the Denty. 2) Refurbish the stadium, but make the baseball franchise pony up at least 50% or more. 3) Don’t build a new stadium downtown if we decide to tear it down. Have Canaries use Harmadon Park, or fold.

Some mention it would make a good place for concerts downtown. Hey McFly, we are building the Levitt Pavilion for $5 million for outdoor concerts downtown already.

Enough already with special interest monument building that none of us benefit from except having another bond to pay off. Besides the skatepark proposal which organizers have promised to kick in $500K privately, we really just need to take a deep breath and take a break for awhile.

I really think the next council and mayor need to use 2018 as a year to review finances. They also need to do forensic audits of all the departments budgets and enterprise funds. They also need to look at deregulation and LOWERING fees and taxes.

This Spend, Spend, Spend mentality is going to eventually break us.

5 Thoughts on “Taxpayers of Sioux Falls need to STOP subsidizing special interests at 100%

  1. This is ridiculous. The Canaries aren’t even minor-league level. They’re below that. I know people who love going to these games, including my parents, but there’s absolutely no reason for the public to build them a new stadium. Outside of the first few games, the rise in attendance would be a tiny percentage. Attendance is down because the quality of play is not the best, and there are now more and more entertainment options. If this was AAA or even AA I’d entertain the debate, but come on. And their use of potential concerts is laughable. It was never comfortable to go their for shows since certain portions of the field were roped off for fear of messing up that “pristine” infield.

  2. Cut Consultants/Teams Pay on April 21, 2018 at 11:27 am said:

    I heartily agree with your analysis. Spend, spend, spend for special athletic groups has been the policy in our parks department ever since Kearney has arrived.

    Parks have ceased to be beautiful and full of nature, trees, etc with the exception of McKennan Park. Parks under Kearney’s leadership are leveled into fields for sports. To %&* with nature and natural beauty!

    Not that a stadium is a park, it is not. This paid for validation by a consultant is simply affirmation for what the downtown retailers want to accomplish on the backs on the tax payers. Use of consultants are simply financially validated promotions to indoctrinate or affect public opinion. And the public pays to indoctrinate themselves for the sake of special interest groups!!!!!

    That is how the city has been operating under Huether. Pay out a large amount to money to a consultant to validate the huge planned, pre-arranged expensive project to the public.

    Lastly, there was significant discussion last fall during the NFL protests about the huge salaries in the NFL when all the stadiums were built with taxpayer money. No funds were contributed by the teams and players. Kind of a kick in the back for the taxpayers. Sports teams can anti-up if they want these public stadiums!

  3. As a taxpayer, I would like to see the last ten years of history (revenue, expenses–including tax subsidies, and esp attendance numbers) for the Canaries Stadium.

    I believe it will show no more tax dollars should to be thrown at this organization.

    Huether’s Reign of Spending on Athletic Pursuits is over. Taxpayers have had enough.

  4. D@ily Spin on April 21, 2018 at 2:21 pm said:

    The idea of a new stadium needs to go away. Attendance at the present stadium is light. If the 55yo stadium is condemned then maybe no more baseball. Don’t give the new mayor an opportunity to float more junk bonds for unpopular sports like tennis, swimming, and (yes) baseball. We’re at the lake and farmers are in the field when it’s summer. The Canaries can fly way or caught by cats. Wouldn’t matter to me.

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