Property tax caps force tough budget choices across Sioux Falls metro

Cuts, nonprofits, ballpark shape spending debates among Sioux Falls, Minnehaha County and Lincoln County elected officials

(The Dakota Scout archives)

Elected officials across the Sioux Falls metro face rising costs, shrinking revenues and mounting taxpayer scrutiny over property taxes as budget season unfolds.

From City Hall to county commissions, this year’s spending debates underscore the growing strain of new state-imposed limits on property tax growth, economic uncertainty, and heightened expectations from voters who want both restrained taxation and maintained services. Meanwhile, the passage of Senate Bill 216, which caps assessed value growth beginning next year, is projected to shave millions from local government coffers in the coming decade.

Sioux Falls City Council trying to mitigate budget cuts