Bob Trzynka said it best in his latest press release;
“Monday’s announcement leaves a lot of questions to be answered by the City’s future leadership. There are issues of oversight, zoning, building permits, and taxes, along with how do we remediate and redevelop the land where the old Smithfield plant stands today. Sioux Falls needs thoughtful and considered governance to make sure that we take maximum advantage of this amazing opportunity.”
I told a reporter this last week that it was ‘wonderful’ that this is moving forward, but all the secrecy up until this point doesn’t help the process. While I am hopeful the next council and mayor will make this process as open as possible I am NOT going to hold my breath. There is a reason this was negotiated under the dark of the night, there was a lot of taxpayer capital promised . . . to a bunch of communists!
I still think there needs to be a petition drive on the TIF. This is a company that makes BILLIONS and are owned by Chinese Communists, there is ABSOLUTELY no reason they need a tax break, especially since they pay slave wages and send ALL profits to a Communist Country!
I have said ‘would it be so bad if they left completely?’ Nope. I guarantee if we cancel the TIF and they leave (I don’t think they will) that another industry would come in, like another packing plant or something else that could hire these folks.
Our leadership in SD is so short sighted and idiotic. Instead of giving away the farm to a bunch of communists, maybe find a way to survive without them and say, ‘See yah later.’
I have told folks Smithfield has to build in Sioux Falls, they don’t have a choice because of the commodity supply in the region, but they would never tell city councilors that when they are bilking ‘DEMOCRATIC’ taxpayers. I find it funny that the same people that support mass deportation have no problem giving communists our tax dollars so they can hire immigrants to work at their plants. Does anyone see the irony and hypocrisy in all of this?
I have to tell you, I have been enjoying reading the different bios and am still pretty much undecided in ALL of the races, but these are the candidates I am leaning into, and doing more research, and why;
• Joe Batcheller is who I like for mayor. I have liked his resume up against the others since the beginning, I also like that Joe is a professional urban planner (in other words he has a degree) and he wants to focus on two things; TRANSPARENCY and HOUSING. Don’t get me wrong, love Greg, and think Jamie and Christine are both qualified. We really don’t have a bad choice in this race, except the guy living in Hartford who likes to perjure campaign finance forms. I wonder if he can even vote for himself 🙂
• Vince Danh is who I like for At-Large A. I don’t know him, or have ever met him, but been checking his resume and I like that he is a very outspoken small business owner of immigrant parents. I want to do more research on him (shoot me an email Vince, would love to have coffee) but I like his message so far.
• Samantha Scarlata for At-Large B. This one is easy for me. Rich needs to go, he has failed at all of his initiatives, been nothing but a rubber stamper and LIES to constituents about helping them. He is NO good for this city, and if a freaking grasshopper was running against him, I would support them first. Oh, and Sam is the salt of the earth.
• Bob Trzynka for Central. I keep going back and forth on this one, because there are several great candidates, but Bob rises to the top. A brilliant lawyer who helped to save Lincoln Park for his neighborhood. This is all things I have heard about Bob since I have only met him on a couple of occasions. Like I said, tons of great candidates in this race worth looking at.
• Brady Kerkman for SE District. I have been researching all three candidates and I keep coming back to Brady. Sara is a well meaning mother, which is great, and Mike is a retired developer, who is a good guy, but he still has the ‘D’ behind his name, and they belong no where on the Dais. This one will be fun to watch and see who rises to the top.
Like I said above, I’m still taste testing out the candidates and encourage you to also. Had lunch with a candidate on Monday and we had a great convo! I am serious, reach out and have a one on one with them!
During the city council meeting tonight there was a debate about how much money will be spent on the new Frank Olson Industrial Complex. The bond approved was for $47 million, but some kind folks wanted to give $1 million for the place, which was accepted. It is also a one time gift. The Parks department employees really want to spend the money on ‘extras’ because every time they walk to the podium they are salivating over all the extra crap they get to buy. Where the Kirby’s messed up was giving the entire amount all at once, this of course was a tax write-off and the reason the Kirby’s created the PRIVATE parks foundation was to funnel tax write-offs into our parks system. Not a bad idea, the problem is the money needs to be more focused and beneficial to the citizens. This EXTRA money is unusual because usually a major sponsorship like this would be over a decade and the money dispersed evenly over the 10 years and used mostly for operating. The sponsors should have handed the money to the Development Foundation and let them disperse the money over a decade to the city for operating expenses and signage (which should not cost more then $30K). I don’t have a problem with the gift, but it seems like the city is just going to piss it down their legs, BUT as long as the IRS is happy, who cares?!
THE ROAD(s) TO NOWHERE
The council also debated the new Minnesota Avenue expansion between 2nd and 7th for $12 Million, $7 million below expected bid. The design alone cost us $1 Million. I guess our city engineers do NO engineering, I heard they mostly run errands during the work day.
Curtist the Blurtist bitched about the medians and wondered about changing design, Cotter said, ‘too late’ design is all done and you would have to go out for new bids with changes. I don’t think this city council has a clue what our city departments are up to, and that is on purpose. They love to plead ignorance and they did it a lot tonight. So get ready for Minnesota Avenue to look like a scene from the Brutalist as Vernon Brown referenced tonight.
HEY TRE! DO YOU STILL EXIST?
Or did you take my advice and change the name to Lyre Ministries? Also, what is Ryan Spellerberg’s association with the org? He didn’t LEGALLY provide his conflict to the citizens during the meeting while participating in ALL of the other meetings leading up to the 2nd reading including voting. Dude really doesn’t understand muni government, which is astonishing being in the real estate business, or maybe not 🙂
Either way, a friend who lives in the neighborhood called me bitching,
“What the F— are they doing with this property? F’ing street been closed for months and no work. What the F—?!”
I of course laughed and said that the place will probably never get built and sold to some developer who wants to build a big apartment building or an oil change place casino, I also told him that the city closes streets all the time and nothing happens. There is a closed street on my block and they use it as storage. I have lived in my home for 24 years and the same two semi-trailers have sat on the land the entire time. No plates, no registration, no nothing. I have reported it to the county for licensing and they told me to go to Hell and said it was a city issue. The city did nothing when I told them, except that it was ‘private property’. NO IT IS NOT! IT IS AN EASEMENT!
My point? Don’t close streets in residential neighborhoods, it just attracts cockroaches and grifters.
If I was a betting man, my guess is there will NEVER be an indentured X-tian servant apartment complex built there. But, man, can’t we dream of a world where the White Christian Nationalist Housing and Coffee House becomes reality?
God, please save us from these folks. Please. As Jimmy Stewart would say, “God… I’m not a praying man, but if you’re up there and you can hear me, show me the way”. Or better yet, show the council. They sure could use a Clarence or a Kermit these days 🙂
Zach DeBoer Announces Campaign for Sioux Falls City Council – Central District
Artist, educator, and community advocate launches campaign focused on safer streets, stronger neighborhoods, and fiscally responsible growth. Sioux Falls, SD — February 3, 2026 — Zach DeBoer, a longtime community advocate, artist, and educator, announced today that he is running for the Sioux Falls City Council representing the Central District. DeBoer is known for his hands-on work strengthening neighborhoods, improving street safety, and advancing public art across Sioux Falls. DeBoer has worked as a placemaking consultant with communities across South Dakota, partnering with residents to design safer streets, revitalize public spaces, and build local pride. He has also served on the city’s Visual Arts Commission as well as multiple neighborhood and historical boards. DeBoer is currently an elementary school art teacher and has worked in education in Sioux Falls for over a decade, teaching students from kindergarten through college. He credits the classroom with shaping his leadership style—listening carefully, meeting people where they are, solving problems creatively, and making sure no one gets left behind. “Good teaching and good leadership aren’t that different,” DeBoer said. “You show up, you listen, and you build something that works for everyone.” As an artist and educator, DeBoer has been a driving force behind citywide public art efforts, including murals, cultural initiatives, and the adoption of the Sioux Falls city flag—now a widely embraced symbol of local pride. “Central Sioux Falls is the heart of our city,” DeBoer said. “Our neighborhoods should be safe, vibrant, and welcoming, and city government should stay focused on practical solutions that improve everyday life. I’m running because our community deserves a council member who listens, who shows up, and who isn’t afraid to speak up and fight for the people they represent.” A central focus of DeBoer’s campaign is stronger neighborhoods and safer streets. He has been a leading advocate for traffic calming, safer routes around schools, and people-focused street design. His work has helped champion projects such as bike lanes, crosswalks, bump-outs, and neighborhood beautification initiatives. He has also helped schools and neighborhoods implement high-impact safety improvements through low-cost, community-led projects. DeBoer is also calling for fiscally responsible, smarter growth. Rather than chasing expensive, shiny mega-projects, he believes Sioux Falls should be focused on maintaining existing infrastructure, reinvesting in established neighborhoods, revitalizing underutilized spaces, and managing growth responsibly so taxpayers aren’t left paying the price later. “We should be careful and thoughtful with public dollars,” DeBoer said. “Fixing what we already have and investing in proven ideas is often the smartest and most responsible choice.”
DeBoer also emphasized his commitment to transparent, community-driven leadership, saying residents deserve honest communication, leaders who ask tough questions, and decision-makers who genuinely listen to public input. “I don’t have ties to PACs or special interests,” DeBoer said. “I’m not another rubber stamper. I’ll listen to residents, push back when something doesn’t add up, and fight for what’s right for our community.” If elected, DeBoer plans to focus on: • Safer streets that protect children, seniors, pedestrians, and cyclists • Neighborhood revitalization that supports small businesses and strengthens community identity • Smart, fiscally responsible growth that prioritizes reinvestment over sprawl and megaprojects • Transparent, responsive government that treats residents as true partners DeBoer previously ran for City Council in 2018, winning the initial election before narrowly losing in the runoff by less than three percent of the vote. His campaign helped inspire new civic engagement, particularly among young voters, and led to meaningful changes even without holding office – including the official adoption of the Sioux Falls city flag. DeBoer has lived in the All Saints Neighborhood for the past ten years with his wife, Molly O’Connor, and their seven-year-old daughter, Lucy. The election for the Central District seat will be held on June 2, 2026. For more information, visit ZachForCityCouncil.com
NOTE: There is also an Engineer running for SE District. Don’t know much about her, but I can’t recall us ever having a civil engineer on the City Council. I think it would be a great addition and someone who can question planning with big decisions.
Thank you to the people of Sioux Falls in braving the wind, snow and blinding cold to help 5,012 citizens to together to send a message to our city government. We may not have been able to get the needed signatures to prevail on this immediate issue, we are sending a message. The Let Sioux Falls Vote petition brought much of our great city together like it hasn’t in many years. We just couldn’t fight the Dakota winter to collect what was necessary. We, as voters and citizens in Sioux Falls, have much to do in the next few months to preserve out personal and property rights. We must stay active and involved to protect our futures from being damaged by higher utility rates and increased tax burdens due to this and maybe other monster data centers. It’s not likely an out of state-owned data center will care about our needs. They are moving here for their profits; this is not for solid financial community growth. As the media is reporting the lack of enough petition signers to take it to a public vote, I feel it is important to take time to say thank you. The voter’s overwhelming response is heartwarming. The drive showed we can work together on a common issue. Our volunteers are from so many different backgrounds, with so many views on other issues, feeling or being told they are too divided to work together. The volunteers proved the naysayers wrong. Dozens of fellow citizens fought brutal winter weather to be a part of something bigger than anyone one person. This was amazing. We weren’t fighting amongst each-other; we were fighting together for the same thing. The out-pouring of unity was not only in Sioux Falls, but brought our Brandon, Valley Springs, Lennox, Harrisburg, and more neighbors to see there is much more to fight for, together. On behalf of Let Sioux Falls Vote, thank you, seriously. It does not go unnoticed. We will keep the fires burning. We are proud of the volunteer’s valiant efforts to be part of the process reforming Sioux Falls for the better. Thank you again for everything everybody put into this effort. We are not alone. We are not done.
Samantha Scarlata
NOTE: Sam is running for the AT-Large City council seat against Rich Merkouris. Please support her! He is the only incumbent running in the next city election and he needs to be eliminated. His homeless task force was a complete disaster. Numbers actually went up! They did spend money, mostly on marketing. Not sure how a billboard houses anyone?
as Merkouris notes, the timing is right before a change in administration with a mayoral and council election coming in June
“Now is a natural time to establish some new policies or patterns that we want to put in place,” he said.
Rich, if you were paying any attention 4 years ago when you were installed, you would notice a lot of the changes you are promoting were in place back then, not all, but a good portion. So I ask the question, If you knew these things were broken, why not fix them 4 years ago? Or better yet, not spend $1 million to make our city website worse. As I said, all of this nickel and diming is pointless on transparency. The next mayor and council need to put a open government commission together that recommends REAL LASTING changes in ordinance that another mayor and council can’t just ignore without legal consequences.
l3wis 
