Mayor says budget ‘back to normal’ after federal funds run out

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken presented his annual budget address, outlining priorities and strategies for the coming year. First elected to office in 2018 and now in his second term, Mayor TenHaken outlined his plan at Carnegie Town Hall, which focuses on infrastructure and public safety.

“Just like our residents continually re-prioritize where they spend their hard-earned dollars based on their personal circumstances, the city follows the same practice to stay fiscally responsible, said TenHaken.

The Mayor says this may be his first normal budget address since leading the city.

“What I mean by that Tom is we’ve had several years of federal dollars federal funds. ARPA dollars which have thrown a lot of things into flux and we had more money than we really had, that’s all done so we are back to our normal budget,” said TenHaken.

Some might consider this a more mundane budget, but TenHaken says it will keep the momentum the city has created going forward.

“We have a lot of big projects that we started in previous years that we have to keep spending money to finish. Wastewater expansion, I-29 and 85th Street, Arrowhead Parkway. Projects that the community is like, oh, that’s not very exciting, but it’s very critical to the community,” said TenHaken.

One attention getting subject did come up. The Mayor talked about the potential Riverline acquisition, a parcel of land near 10th and Cliff for a possible future convention center.

The mayor ended his address by complimenting the people of Sioux Falls for their unity in the shadow of the upcoming November Election.

“I hope you sense the positive momentum in our community right now and join it in dreaming big,” said TenHaken. “There is so much good happening in Sioux Falls and numerous reasons to be hopeful about our collective future.”

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