COUNTERPOINT: Rate adjustments necessary to keep Sioux Falls the shining city it is

Guest column by Councilor Alex Jensen

There is no other city than Sioux Falls that I would ever want to call home. As a lifelong resident of Sioux Falls I’ve watched our community grow to surpass 200,000 residents. As a city council member I’ve witnessed firsthand how a well-managed city can run. Sioux Falls is a success story because we tackle the challenges before us, and we proactively plan for the future so that the next generation can also reap the rewards of a thriving community.

I believe clean water and reliable sewers are something we can all agree on. The people of Sioux Falls expect safe and reliable utility services at the lowest possible cost. When you use a faucet for drinking water, turn on the washing machine for laundry, or flush a toilet, you expect clean water coming into your home and a reliable sewer system that does not contaminate the environment. 

Thankfully, Sioux Falls has some of the best managed and most affordable water utilities in the region. Years ago, the City Council established our city utilities — water purification, water reclamation (sewer), storm drainage, landfill, and light and power — as enterprise funds, meaning each enterprise’s operation is supported by revenues from user rates, not tax dollars. 

Today, the city is faced with the need to adjust rates for four of these utilities. To pay for upgrades and expansion projects, city staff has proposed a rate change that reflects the minimum revenue needed to keep the utilities fully functional and provide services that Sioux Falls residents expect, trust and deserve.

NEWS: Sioux Falls water, sewer users could be paying 20 percent more by 2027