New Arena for Sioux Falls

[Nidaros]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

Is this thread about the New Arena, or is it about minor league baseball? Neither subject interests me too much, but it's your board too.

[Nidaros]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

Is this thread about the New Arena, or is it about minor league baseball? Neither subject interests me too much, but it's your board too.

Got neg rep pts on this one so watch out for some gutless wonder who had his Wheaties polluted this morning.

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

Another article in the Argus.

[zooropa]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

No mention of funding which means they must still plan on paying for it by taxing groceries.... Have fun trying to get that past the voters.........

[joeboo22]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

what about an events tax? what if each ticket had a 50 cent tax on it to be paid to the bonds used to build it?

IDK how much that would do..... but I've never liked taxing a certain item in the city to pay for something, unless they would add a penny sales tax that would go to a fund to pay for it and then it would be eliminated when it was paid for....

[zooropa]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

There is talk of reforming the state's Bed Board & Booze tax laws, and honestly, I don't see this events center being built without it.

A lot of people don't want to pay a 7% tax on a carton of eggs in order to finance the events center.

[Hammersmith]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

What is the current sales tax in SF, how much of it is state tax, and what is any difference between the two currently used for? Fargo didn't have a big problem passing a .5% cent, 20-year sales tax to pay for the Fargodome(expired end of 2008). We are currently at 6.5% and will rise to 7% at the end of the year. The breakdown is 5% state, two infrastructure taxes(a 1% and a .5%), and a .5% flood control tax that we voted on early this month(passed with over 90% of the vote). We've also recently had an 18-month, .5% tax to renovate one branch library, build another, and rebuild the main library. Fargo tends to easily pass infrastructure taxes, but anything else needs to be very tightly worded and very needed. Recently, an economic development tax, a property tax relief tax, and a school bond issue have all failed. Most tax increases in town need to be approved by a 60% margin, so supporters have to make a very good case to get one passed. Except the flood tax; the Red River took care of the campaigning for that one all on its own.

Fargo:
5% state sales tax
.5% infrastructure tax(streets/water mains/flood control) - 10 year - expires June 2012 - ??% in favor
1% infrastructure tax - 20 year - expires end of 2028 - 69.4% in favor
.5% flood control tax - 20 year - beginning of 2010 to end of 2029 - 90.7% in favor

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

For sales tax:
South Dakota has a 4%
City of Sioux Falls has a 2% (max allowed under state law)

I believe there is also a BBB tax, but not sure how much. It will be VERY difficult to get the event center approved if the State does not reform the current BBB structure. I don't think it would even be put to a vote.

[Hammersmith]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

That max is kinda dumb, IMO. While Fargo has never exceeded 2%(and only one city in ND has - Medora at 2.5%), I feel it should be left up to the individual communities to decide how much they want to tax themselves. Though Minnesota is far worse. There, it's nearly impossible to enact ANY city sales tax. Moorhead and Breckenridge would love to propose a city sales tax to help pay for flood control, but Minnesota law requires them to get approval from the state legislature before they can put it on the ballot. Infrastructure projects are almost never given permission. St. Paul wants to keep control of those projects and then never gets around to funding them. North Dakota has three wonderful little words: Home Rule Charter. In cities where the voters enact HRC, it suspends many of the restrictions of ND law and gives the power to make those types of decisions to the city/county.


Oh, BBB? Bed Bath & Beyond? A type of lodging and hospitality tax?

[joeboo22]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

There is talk of reforming the state's Bed Board & Booze tax laws, and honestly, I don't see this events center being built without it.

A lot of people don't want to pay a 7% tax on a carton of eggs in order to finance the events center.

hahaha..... that brings up old memories....

at boys state me and 3 other guys were told we had to come up with a tax to fund a program and this lady who apparently worked for thune or something was like you have to do a bed, board and booze tax.... I think we came up with a books, bra's and brochures tax, she didn't think it was too funy and then we just about got kicked out 2 1/2 hours before we were to leave....

now to some serious stuff.... I thought state law allowed them to go above 6% as long as long as it was designated to something? probably wrong though....

how did rapid city fund theirs? I know its going to cost Sioux Falls quite a bit more but I think that building a new arena in Sioux Falls is one of those things where you build it first and find funding later.... but I don't live in Sioux Falls so I guess I wouldn't have to pay for it...

[zooropa]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

Sioux Falls BBB (Bed, Board, and Booze) is, I think, 7%.

Officially, I believe it is called a 'hospitality tax'--a tax on lodging, restaurants and all alcohol sales--on and off site--(hence the bed, board, and booze nickname)

While RC may have funded the Civic Center with a general sales tax, somehow I doubt it. They have got to take in way more than SF in per capita BBB revenue.

Also, JoeBoo, the second penny is the one that needs to be allocated, not the first. If you're not home rule you need an exemption for second penny (IIRC). Being able to freely levy that second penny is a major reason why HRC has become popular in SD, again, IIRC.

But as it relates to the proposed 7% tax on eggs to pay for the events center, as 1stRow pointed out, you're looking at passing legislation to even get that 7% tax on the ballot.... And it will be handily voted down by Sioux Falls anyway.

[joeboo22]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

Sioux Falls BBB (Bed, Board, and Booze) is, I think, 7%.

Officially, I believe it is called a 'hospitality tax'--a tax on lodging, restaurants and all alcohol sales--on and off site--(hence the bed, board, and booze nickname)

While RC may have funded the Civic Center with a general sales tax, somehow I doubt it. They have got to take in way more than SF in per capita BBB revenue.

Also, JoeBoo, the second penny is the one that needs to be allocated, not the first. If you're not home rule you need an exemption for second penny (IIRC). Being able to freely levy that second penny is a major reason why HRC has become popular in SD, again, IIRC.

But as it relates to the proposed 7% tax on eggs to pay for the events center, as 1stRow pointed out, you're looking at passing legislation to even get that 7% tax on the ballot.... And it will be handily voted down by Sioux Falls anyway.

ok.... I thought you could go to 7% if it was allocated..... I think Rapid City did theirs on straight bonding, however theirs only cost about 34 million if I remember right....

[zooropa]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

ok.... I thought you could go to 7% if it was allocated..... I think Rapid City did theirs on straight bonding, however theirs only cost about 34 million if I remember right....

Pretty interesting if they could pay off a $34M bond from general sales tax revenue.

Of course, OTOH, Rapid City is not Sioux Falls---I don't think they spend nearly what SF does (per capita) on infrastructure and public 'luxuries' (e.g. swimming pools).

[Hammersmith]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

Thanks for the answers. Is SF a HRC city?

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

Thanks for the answers. Is SF a HRC city?

Yes. My understanding is that in SD a Home Rule Charter (HRC) city is allowed to make laws in any area except those areas where the state has mandated what they can do. Other cities can do only what the state specifically says they have the power to do. I am sure someone else can provide more details.