The city council is set to increase property taxes tonight by 2.9% which is allowable by state law, but look how the city is ‘twisting’ this ‘option’;
This ordinance shows the 2026 budget for the Governmental (tax supported) Funds for calendar year of 2026, and the required revenues and sources to support the expenses.
In other words they created the 2026 budget assuming the city council will pass the property tax increase. So what if they don’t? That means the finance department would have to adjust the budget, which is what GOOD GOVERNMENTS do. The city council doesn’t have to pass this tonight and have NO requirements by city or state law to pass a property tax increase. ZILCH. Not to mention with the way the economy is going right now it would be one of the WORST times to increase property taxes.
How the city council votes on this will show the true colors of the individual councilors. While 99% of the community is hollering to lower our property taxes it will be interesting to see which councilors are ignorant enough to support this increase. I have no doubt it will pass, it always does with usually 2 dissenters but I have a feeling the vote is going to go a little different this time, but if 4/4 occurs Mayor Lame Poop will break the tie to increase taxes. He has never cared about the little man and he ain’t going to start now. I hope it goes to a tie vote so he owns this tax increase.
I will also be curious to see if these folks who show up to every county commission meeting to bitch about property taxes will come to the council meeting for a good reaming. This is 1st reading, so I don’t expect to many comments, but hopefully at least 5 councilors will look in the mirror before entering the dais and shoot this down tonight so it never makes a 2nd reading.
Scott,
I love your idea of a 4-4 tie forcing the Mayor to break the tie, this puts him at the very odds not only of the people of Sioux Falls, but predomantly of the S.D Legislature who is taking accountability in seeking out a tax plan on reforming the property tax code. I know what the city will say, if we don’t take it, we lose our money. With a $750,000,000 million dollar budget, and with a local tax revenue that amounts to $450,000,000 they sure love to cry over $6,000,000 million dollars. With all the TIFS they love to hand out, what does it matter if they forego on this increase, all they need is to encourage more donations or TIF projects which raises property values in the future. And if they do take the increase, what if the City Council vote to hold the money in a Trust Fund, to be controlled by the council, and only by the council?
Pritchett’s sob story delivered with crocodile tears. Pretended like he and the rest of City government have been fiscally prudent and good stewards of the money collected from taxpayers.
Hey Shawn, the reason you are in this position (the state government putting a throttle on levy of property taxes) is because you have NOT been fiscally prudent with budgets and have been very poor stewards of money collected from taxpayers.
So, if this tax increase does not get passed, will Mayor no-tie sit and sulk for the last year in his term?
I do agree with the 4-4 vote. Of course this Mayor will vote to pass the increase so there will be one more year to keep spending. Wouldn’t it be interesting to hear some of the conversations by the Councilors about this and to know how much bullying by PTH to get it passed!
Meanwhile in the Lincoln County Commission meeting, Country Club Jim Schmidt throwing fits that the Commission entertained motions to place the brakes on transferring county money to the pockets of all Schmidt’s buddies in the world of “economic development” and nonprofit chamber cronyism in Sioux Falls.
I watched this meeting, when Jim was bitching that it was only $650, I was waiting for Arends to say, “then why don’t you cut a check?” Also, love that Arends wanted to cut Lifescape.