Sioux Falls City Council Members Are Working on Next Years Proposed Budget

SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO.com) — Sioux Falls City Council members are working their way through the proposed budget for next year.

Council chair Rich Merkouris calls it a status quo budget that’s very comparable to this year’s budget.

But there’s an exception that’s creating some concern.  “We’ve seen a sizeable uptick in our benefit costs as a city. Our benefits premiums are going up 32% for the next year.  That’s a sizeable jump that’s having a sizeable impact on the budget.”

There are also questions about a proposal to add artificial turf to the outfield of Canaries’ Stadium.

The Stadium and nearby Arena are both aging and need repair, so Merkouris wants to know what the long-term plan is before committing capital improvement funds to those facilities.