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2027 City Budget

At a glance

  • What: The fiscal year 2027 budget and 2027-2031 Capital Program (Resolution 101-26), the property tax revenue and appropriation ordinance (69-26), supplemental appropriations (70-26) and a 2026-2030 Capital Program amendment (103-26).
  • Where it stands: All adopted September 8, 2026. Resolution 101-26 and Ordinance 69-26 passed 7-1 with Pankonin opposed.
  • Contention: A failed attempt to strike $120,000 for Flock Cameras from the police budget; a $950,000 cut to stadium improvements passed 6-2.

Amendments to Resolution 101-26

Main motion by Oppenheimer, seconded by Spellerberg. Five amendments:

  • Benson Road Improvements (project 11132): add $800,000 (Sanford Development contribution) and $3,000,000 (SDDOT construction contribution) in 2027, $3,800,000 total in the Highways and Streets sales tax budget. Moved by Sigette, seconded by Basye; 8-0.
  • Zoo Master Plan Improvements (project 14026): $4,000,000 of Entertainment Tax funds may not be encumbered until a future resolution sets restrictions: pledges for the full Aquarium and Butterfly House budget (phases I and II), financing to cash-flow pledges with costs in the project budget, Council passage of naming-rights ordinances, and a three-year repair and maintenance outlook for the zoo campus. Moved by Basye, seconded by Merkouris; 8-0.
  • Health Department: add $175,000 from General Fund reserves for 40 more hours a week of street outreach in the Whittier neighborhood and a communication campaign on handling loitering. Moved by Merkouris, seconded by Thomason; 8-0.
  • Sioux Falls Stadium Improvements (project 13013): decrease by $950,000 in 2027 (Entertainment Tax Fund). Moved by Sigette, seconded by Basye; 6-2 (Spellerberg and Pankonin no). See Sioux Falls Stadium Artificial Turf Restrictions.
  • Police operating budget: strike $120,000 for Flock Cameras. Moved by Pankonin, seconded by Okuwe; failed 2-6 (Pankonin and Okuwe yes).

Adopted as amended 7-1 (Pankonin no).

  • Ordinance 69-26, appropriations and an increase in property tax revenue under SDCL 10-13-35 for FY2027: moved by Sigette, seconded by Basye. Amendment (Basye, Merkouris) to include all passed budget amendments, 7-1; adopted as amended 7-1 (Pankonin no).
  • Ordinance 70-26, supplemental appropriations: Oppenheimer, Spellerberg; 8-0.
  • Resolution 103-26 amending the 2026-2030 Capital Program: see Frank Olson Aquatics Center Funding; Basye, Sigette; 8-0.

Sources

Log

2026-09-15 - City Council Informational Meeting

Tim Konda presented the August 2026 financials (sales and entertainment tax, general fund year-to-date).

2026-09-08 - City Council

Budget resolution, tax and appropriation ordinances and capital amendment adopted as above.

2026-08-25 - City Council Informational Meeting

Shawn Pritchett, Director of Finance, presented the 2027 Budget Discussions on the Public Parking budget; Matt Nelson, Pritchett and Brian Jamros (president of the Sioux Falls Canaries) answered Council questions. The minutes do not record figures or the questions.

2026-08-11 - City Council

Hearing set for September 1 on the resolution adopting the FY2027 budget and 2027-2031 Capital Program (Item 17). Minutes of the August 5 budget hearings approved on the consent agenda (and of the August 11 budget hearings on August 18, see 2026-08-18 - City Council).

2026-09-01 - City Council

First readings and public hearing. Items 35 (FY2027 appropriations with an increase in property tax revenue under SDCL 10-13-35) and 36 (supplemental appropriations) had their first readings, with second reading set for September 8: Item 35 moved by Spellerberg, seconded by Okuwe; Item 36 moved by Oppenheimer, seconded by Basye; each 7-0. By a 7-0 amendment (Merkouris, Basye) the public hearing on the 2027 budget and 2027-2031 Capital Program (Item 37) was taken before Item 35. No public input was given at the hearing. Related budget-season items adopted the same night: Experience Sioux Falls BID Budget, Downtown Business Improvement District Assessment and Street Maintenance Front Foot Assessment.

2026-05-19 - City Council Informational Meeting

Finance Director Shawn Pritchett presented the Mid-Year Outlook (about 10 minutes) in preparation for the budget process, after the April 2026 financial presentation, and discussed Subsidy Agreements; the Council asked questions, which he answered. No figures are in the minutes.