After decade as a legislator in Pierre, Jamie Smith wants to lead Sioux Falls and make it a better place for all
For the past 10 years, I’ve been making the same drive. Sioux Falls to Pierre, Pierre to Sioux Falls. I’ve had the honor of serving District 15 in the Legislature, and part of that honor is the familiar drive between the state Capitol and home.
On the road, you’ve got a lot of time to think. I spent my drive back from Veto Day thinking about what we accomplished this session, and the next steps for Sioux Falls under the next mayoral administration.
Education
As a former teacher and coach, I know our communities thrive when we invest in our youth. After years of hard work, we finally passed HB 1082 and prioritized feeding students. This legislation supports working families by reimbursing school districts for free and reduced-price school meals. Thanks to a years-long effort by state Rep. Kadyn Wittman and other lawmakers, students can focus on their studies, not if they’re going to be able to pay for lunch.
The Legislature also voted down SB 218, which would authorize the use of public funding for charter schools. Sioux Falls has a wide variety of public and private school options, and I encourage families to figure out what works best for their students.But public funding should go to public schools, not to subsidize education that doesn’t adhere to education standards set by the state. In Sioux Falls, we need to focus on ensuring that every student has the opportunity to succeed. We provide those opportunities by investing in Sioux Falls public education.
Sioux Falls can do more to help young people succeed. One of the biggest issues facing our youth is a lack of accessible after-school programming. I saw this issue all the time as an educator; when kids don’t have anywhere to go after school, they end up getting into trouble. As a city, we can provide activities that help our young people develop healthy habits while keeping them off the streets. Let’s collaborate between our school district, local businesses, and non-profits to deliver engaging programs that help our kids succeed.
Public safety
While serving on the Project Prison Reset task force, I continuously promoted efforts to reduce recidivism in our prison system. This session, I was incredibly proud to pass SB 139, which will help get folks off the streets of Sioux Falls.
When a convict is released from our state penitentiary, they’ll now have a ride back to their support systems, instead of being released onto Sioux Falls streets and falling back into destructive behavior. This is common-sense legislation that makes our community safer while helping folks get back on their feet.
Other solutions to Sioux Falls safety start at the local level. I’ve had a number of great conversations with Police Chief Jon Thum, and I know the initiatives taking place in our Police Department are part of the solution to reducing crime. But we can do more to put people in better situations, and that starts with eliminating homelessness in Sioux Falls.
Through the expansion of Safe Homes and improving outreach, we’ll get folks off the streets and into housing. When we address homelessness, we invest in public safety for all of Sioux Falls.
Economic development
Sioux Falls is growing at a rapid rate, and our city government needs to accommodate that growth. That means investing in workforce development by improving childcare affordability.
I’ve heard from different local governments around South Dakota about how they’re improving affordable childcare. For Sioux Falls, I want to look into a tri-share model for childcare. Under this model, the childcare burden is supported by the city, the employer, and the family. We need to get creative to address childcare costs for our working families.
We also need to be selective with how we’re incentivizing development in Sioux Falls. I voted against providing 30 years of tax breaks to data center developers. Instead of providing tax breaks for out-of-state corporations without guaranteed positive outcomes for our community, I want to incentivize the expansion of home-grown industries.
Part of that equation is providing space for local businesses to build their brand and bolster our community. With Smithfield moving out of downtown, I want input from all sources on how that space can serve Sioux Falls for decades to come. The Smithfield relocation will provide careful stewardship of our city resources, with a mayor that keeps Sioux Falls citizens at the forefront of every conversation.
Partnership
For Sioux Falls to have smart, sustainable growth, we need to improve the relationship between the city and state government. Year after year, I’ve seen legislation brought that makes it harder for our state’s largest city to deliver for our citizens. To improve that relationship, we need a mayor who can unite lawmakers toward the common goal of delivering results for our state.
I’ve spent the last decade forging relationships across the aisle, proving that you can transcend partisan politics for the common good. Our next mayor needs to be able to work with the City Council, the Legislature and the governor to build a better Sioux Falls.
After a decade of long drives, I’m excited to return home and develop a Sioux Falls that works for everyone. Our next mayor needs a clear vision that’s accomplished by collaboration between state and local leaders. I can’t wait to see that vision through.
District 15 Sen. Jamie Smith is former state representative, was the 2022 Democratic candidate for governor and is running to be mayor of Sioux Falls.P
Photo: Falls Park in Sioux Falls, public domain, wikimedia commons
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