Sioux Falls councilors: Tax hike not tied to $68M aquatics bond floated by City Hall

Officials push back on contention that building new parks facilities relies on property tax revenues

About $65 million worth of new aquatics and recreation centers planned in Sioux Falls won’t raise property taxes.

That’s the message Sioux Falls city councilors delivered this week after fielding “more than a handful” of questions from tax-wary citizens concerned about the tax implications of a mayor-led initiative to build an indoor aquatics complex at Frank Olson Park and an outdoor pool at Kuehn Park.

“There isn’t anything that’s proposed that would increase the tax expectations or increase what community members would pay in their taxes to fund these things,” Councilor Miranda Basye told reporters Tuesday during a press conference at City Hall.

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