Elections

Elections SF City Council Sioux Falls Vernon Brown

Sioux Falls City Council violated so many rules tonight it was ALMOST comical, but I am NOT laughing

l3wis December 9, 2025 3Comments

The city council appointed Vernon Brown tonight since we was the ONLY(?) nominee for Cole’s empty seat. I don’t take issue with Vernon’s appointment. While I disagreed with him on most everything on the council, he is NO dummy and he will be an asset to the council over the next 6 months. I would love to be a fly on the wall when Vernon expresses his discomfort with council leadership on how haphazardly the council and city government is being run now, and I hope Vernon acts more like a Private Investigator then a councilor over the next 6 months and reports back to the public, but I am NOT going to hold my breath. (for full disclosure I went to HS with Vernon’s wife and have known her family since I was a tike, her parents are the salt of the earth).

Nomination aside, Vernon approached this the way several other potential candidates did; professionally, so what I am going to say about council action tonight has NOTHING to do with Vernon’s character or ability to serve. He did everything right, and there are NO faults with him.

So where did the council f’ck up? Man, where to begin?

• They didn’t provide a singular contact to apply for nomination just that you had to kiss two councilor’s asses. In a functioning open government you have a direct source to apply for these nominations. This made it a CLOSED process and a 1st Amendment violation. The council didn’t even provide a direct contact to THEM! It is HYPOCRITICAL to complain about citizen participation in local government then when an opportunity presents itself you tell the public to GFThemselves. WOW!

• They only nominated ONE person. While Soehl expressed that several candidates applied (I know of at least 6 but he touched on clergy and business folks which were NOT on my radar). All the applicants should have been listed. Even Miranda ‘Lucy’ Basye thot there would be more nominees though I think her little statement was smoke and mirrors while we watch Charlie Brown lay on his back in pain.

• But where they really screwed the pooch happened several weeks ago when Council Chair Rich Merkouris said in a live presser that he wouldn’t nominate anyone who was running for office in next year’s city election. This is a CLEAR violation of charter. There are ONLY TWO requirements to be on city council; You must be 18 years of age and a resident of Sioux Falls for the past 6 months. There are NO other requirements!!!!!! He is violating charter and the 1st Amendment!

I knew this process was Sh!t from the beginning, and I feel sorry for the appointee who got appointed on a false premise. But this is how we do govmint’ in Sux.

1st Amendment Downtown Sioux Falls Elections SF City Council Sioux Falls Vernon Brown

UPDATE: The more things change, the more they stay the same

l3wis December 7, 2025 1Comments

UPDATE: Yup, looks just like Brown;

Nomination for At-Large “A” City Council Member
Vernon Brown
2019 S Pendar Lane
Sioux Falls, SD 57105
Nomination by Council Member Miranda Basye
Nomination seconded by Council Member Ryan Spellerberg

It was no secret that the council was likely going to appoint a former city councilor this next Tuesday night to take over Dr. Cole’s seat after she HAD to leave Sioux Falls for her profession.

The question was who? My short list was;

Rolfing

Starr

Kiley

Neitzert

Jensen

Stehly

Brekke

I could also see Jeff Barth or John Paulson.

Another name brought up to me last week was Erpenbach. And I thot this may be the wisest choice since she just disbanded Thrive maybe she could take the next 6 months on the council to to reorganize the homeless task force. So while I am NOT a Michelle fan, it was much better then others on that list. It’s not Michelle but it’s close, it is likely someone who works for Michelle’s husband Steve.

I figured over the weekend the true candidate would emerge, and they may have. The rumor is that Vernon Brown will be nominated on Tuesday night and there will be no other nominations. I guess things could be worse, we could nominate Matt Paulson to the city council, of course they would have to change house rules so Matt could bring his emotional support dog* to the meetings with him.

They may mix it up and nominate Michelle, Vernon and Rick just to make it look like they are doing their due diligence, but I hear they didn’t have to many takers (or at least takers that are willing to wear knee pads around 9th and Dakota).

*That was satire. I know ‘who’ his emotional support dog is, and they don’t eat Alpo.

1st Amendment Censorship Elections Sioux Falls

The Mural Censor is back with his checkbook

l3wis November 25, 2025 6Comments

I’m sure when Zak sees my post, it will NOT be a surprise. When I met with Zak a while back, I warned him of the influence of Paulson, but encouraged him to take his check to the bank if he offered, but I told him to NOT ask for it, because Paulson expects something in return for that donation. Zak was actually encouraged to run by Poops, but we all know Poops and Matty, the censorship queens, work hand in hand, and if you appease one of them, you will ultimately have to appease the other. But I don’t need to go on an on about the behaviors of a wannabe kingmaker, we just need to look at what his money and influence in local politics has given us;

• A censored mural that the Smithsonian accepted later (That’s the big Fed museum in DC, not the craft barn in Harrisburg).

• A mayor that has been ineffective in finishing anything he started (I still don’t think he knows how to wear a Covid mask)

• A councilor who not only didn’t finish their term, they left the state! (as I predicted!)

• A councilor who isn’t running for a 2nd term because he has statewide aspirations (and can’t get anything done on the council)

• Whoever that guy who beat Jordan is

There are many more to list, but it would seem Paulson should have a little buyer’s remorse considering all the candidates he has supported who won so far have been leadership failures. But he doesn’t want a leader, he wants a rubber stamper. If Paulson wants to support you as a candidate, give him a PO box to send the check to, and the phone number to the Holiday Inn Express and hope he leaves you alone 🙂 and if he persists ask him his feelings on censorship 🙂

1st Amendment Elections Planning Commission Sioux Falls

The next Mayor of Sioux Falls needs to clean house at the planning department

l3wis November 24, 2025 1Comments

I have been watching the planning department over the past couple of years and all of their missteps. Besides being sued, which seems like a lot lately, they are doing secretive deals and no-bid contracts. I think it is sooo bad at the department, I am not sure just changing the director would fix the rot. Obviously the planning director takes orders from the mayor then directs his staff to move forward. But there seems to be a disconnect between the mayor and the director and the rest of the management staff. I guess it seems they acted alone,

If I were the next mayor, I would not only replace the director I would likely replace every manager and engineer right below him. Just putting a new director in place won’t solve the problem, there needs to be a whole reorganization of the department and there goals. I don’t like seeing professionals with the city losing their jobs, but I also look at city employees as an investment and if that investment is costing us instead of providing essential services, it’s time to show them the door. It’s also damaging to the reputation of that department.

I am NOT naive, I know this has been going on for a long time, but with all the lawsuits lately the problem has seemed to rear it’s head.

Depending on who the next mayor will be, it will be interesting to watch how they handle the situation.

1st Amendment Elections Rapid City TIFs

TIFs get first major electoral challenge in Rapid City

l3wis November 19, 2025 5Comments

I have been watching this with intrigue.

This is the first time a TIF has been put up to a vote EVER in the state. I think any TIF over $10 Million should get voter approval, it should also get county approval. I find the coalition of right/left leaning folks who gathered the 5K sigs in 20 days remarkable. If they can get that many sigs in RC in 20 days, that tells me the voters will kill this by a large margin. The astonishing thing is EVEN if the $125 million dollar TIF is eliminated by the voters, this f’ing amusement park will still receive over $60 million in other tax incentives, yet the state couldn’t figure out SNAP or TANF. TIFs have gotten ridiculous, but they have always been. Where were these lawmakers 10 or 20 years ago? The research was out there that they don’t work, yet you let taxpayers get rolled for decades while bailing out developer welfare queens. I guess I am happy there is FINALLY opposition to TIFs statewide, but what took yah so damn long!!!!!!?????

Sioux Falls City Council violated so many rules tonight it was ALMOST comical, but I am NOT laughing

UPDATE: The more things change, the more they stay the same

The Mural Censor is back with his checkbook

The next Mayor of Sioux Falls needs to clean house at the planning department

TIFs get first major electoral challenge in Rapid City

You Missed

UPDATE III: How long have SouthWest Sioux Falls District residents been without a legitimate city councilor?

Bob is right, a lot of work needs to be done over Smithfields

Mr. Mayor, we need to have a discussion about addiction and bigotry

Peeps still complaining about E-Bikes