Mayor of Sioux Falls Mike Huether wants to decrease the Sioux Falls city budget for 2017. He presented his recommendation to city council members.
Mayor Mike Huether is proposing a $467 million dollar budget for next year. That's four million dollars less than the current budget.
“In business we’d call it flat. And I think that’s fair. We’re trying to do everything that we can to make government more efficient, more productive, and in ’17 I proud of what are plans are to ultimately make that happen,” says Huether.
Huether proposes about $159 million dollars in general operating expenses including public safety, streets, and parks and recreation.
“So often we talk about that tax payer buck, that dollar bill. So I wanted to give you a visual- I wanted to give you a favor, a visual of where your buck is going. Public safety and streets makes up a little over half of that, or just about half of your spending,” says Heuther.
Huether says public safety remains a priority. He’s recommending adding four police officers and two public works employees to the city's full-time staff of over 1,200 people.
Huether says some of the biggest problems facing Sioux Falls are affordable housing and public transportation.