SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) City Councilor Theresa Stehly has fresh ammunition in her battle to change the way members are picked for the Sioux Falls Parks Board.
She reached out to the head of the Parks Board in Minneapolis, who wrote her a glowing letter that geographic representation works great there.
"District representation is a fabulous thing for that community of Minneapolis, so it just reinforces my desire to give our citizens a voice..," says Stehly. A PDF copy of the Minneapolis letter is attached above this story.
Council Tuesday evening gets its first official look at Stehly's ordinance with first reading. She can't or won't try to predict what will happen. Mayor Mike Huether is dead set against the change. If it ain't broke don't fix it, is Huether's basic stance.
Stehly wants Park Board members picked on a district basis, similar to how members are picked for City Council, arguing that it would result in all areas of the city getting an equal voice. She also points out that her ordinance allows current board members to serve out their terms.