Simplified: The Sioux Falls City Council, alongside the Minnehaha County Commission, voted to restore the proposed cuts to Siouxland Libraries, ensuring that library hours won't change as a result of a citywide budget "recalibration," as Mayor Paul TenHaken's office calls it.

Why it matters

  • In July, ahead of his annual budget address, TenHaken said the city would be proposing about $6 million in cuts in direct response to the state legislature's cap on local property tax growth.
    • That included plans to cut part-time library staff wages and reduce the hours libraries are open by two hours per day.
  • But the City Council largely disagreed with the pitch to cut library hours, and Councilor Miranda Basye's amendment to restore the $270,000 in funding to the 2026 budget was approved 6-1, with Councilor Ryan Spellerberg as the lone dissenting vote.
    • Because the libraries are a joint city-county venture, Minnehaha County Commissioners also weighed in with unanimous approval.
"As we look at where we’re allocating dollars, it is my firm belief that libraries are an integral part of our community," Basye said. "And I don't feel like it's appropriate to reduce the public access to them."

Tell me more

Councilor Jennifer Sigette said she supported the plan to fund regular hours at the library because she's seen the importance of that space in the evening – particularly students who need the study rooms or folks who use the meeting room space.

Councilor Curt Soehl noted that the city has a responsibility to hold up its end of the deal with the county, as well.

  • The rural branches of Siouxland Libraries would have been largely unaffected by the budget cuts, but the branch in Brandon would have also seen libraries closing at 6 p.m. instead of 8 p.m.

Councilor Ryan Spellerberg, the lone dissenting vote of the evening, did not offer any public comment during the meeting as to why he voted the way he did.

What happens next?

Siouxland Libraries is one of only a few segments of the overall city budget that's a shared responsibility with Minnehaha County, so it gets approved in its own special meeting along with Siouxland Heritage Museums and Metro Communications.

Now, the council will continue work on the overall budget before bringing it to a public hearing and ultimately a final vote in September.