Is City Hall using bully pulpit to drag food tax cut?

Councilors not happy with Mayor Paul TenHaken's administration for criticizing ballot measure during municipal hearing

City Hall is facing criticism for throwing water on a proposed food tax cut during an official proceeding of the city and might have inadvertently handed a microphone to the opposition.

Mayor Paul TenHaken’s finance department used a budget hearing last week to warn of potential consequences to city coffers if Initiated Measure 28 is approved by voters in November.

But before Sioux Falls Finance Director Shawn Pritchett delved into his pitch to the City Council about why the city might suffer if sales taxes aren’t applied to groceries — and potentially other “consumables” — Council Chairman Curt Soehl issued a warning of his own.

“If this is any kind of political statement on where the council should be or (where) the city should be, we can’t have that,” he said. “If you’re going to give us an interpretation from one side, I’m going to ask this council to allow your opponents the same amount of time.”

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