Councilor Starr objects to venue of Mayor TenHaken’s ‘State of the City Address’

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — Sioux Falls City Councilor Pat Starr objects to Mayor Paul TenHaken presenting his State of the City Address Wednesday morning at the Convention Center and requiring tickets to attend.

In a release, Starr says the Council never voted to move the meeting.

He also says the event should be open to the public and no ticketing should be needed.

Starr said if anyone needs a seat at Wednesday’s address at 8:30 a.m., he says he’ll give up his.

Below is Starr’s news release. Below that is the official City of Sioux Falls page inviting the public to the event but noting seating is limited.

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March 15, 2022 – Sioux Falls – “The Sioux Falls City Charter is clear, South Dakota law is clear, and the United States Constitution is clear: our government is owned by the citizens of Sioux Falls, not the mayor,” said Starr. “The Sioux Falls Mayor and City Administration have created disorder regarding  who is allowed to attend the annual State of the City Address.”

Facts:

1. By Charter and Ordinance, the Mayor must present a State of the City of Sioux Falls to the City  Council.
2. For a City Council meeting to be deemed legally “official” or “special,” the Council must vote to change the location of a meeting. The City Council has not passed a vote to move the meeting.  3. By law, charter, and ordinance, all city council meetings are open to the public and do not require advance registration. Our law is clear there are no requirements or “signups” to attend a  council meeting.
3. Marketing materials created by the Mayor’s Office claim city council members and residents of  Sioux Falls must have registered by March 4, 2022 to attend.
4. By tradition, the State of the City address has been presented in the Carnegie Town Hall Council  Chamber, before the City Council, with the public viewing the address live.
5. The speech will not be available for viewing on City Link (cable channel 16), the City’s television station.
6. The marketing materials from the mayor’s office state the speech will only be viewable online via the data harvester site, Facebook.
7. Also at issue is the speech is being presented in a campaign-style at a mayor-called meeting.
8. The mayor’s event required advance tickets to attend, with the internet signup site selling the public’s personal data to political campaigns.

“Wednesday’s mayoral campaign event is not open to the public. If it is a true State of the City meeting  being held in the Sioux Falls Convention Center (1201 N. West Avenue, doors opening at 7:30 with and  the unofficial Council Meeting begins at 8).”

Said Starr adding, “If anyone wants to attend, no pre-registration is required. Seating is not limited; there  will be room for all that want to attend. In fact, if you have difficulty finding a place to sit, you can have  mine!” “I just want people who would like to attend like I want the public to attend all our official  meetings. This is your City. We are elected to serve you,” Starr said.