Sioux Falls, SD (KELO AM) - Community activist Bruce Danielson told the Sioux Falls City Council on Tuesday that he is seeing a remarkable amount of backlash against a proposed $24 million city administration building.
"Economic groups are all over the board, from the poorest to the wealthiest in town, nobody wants this building," Danielson told the Council during the public input session. He added that both conservatives and liberals seem to be coming together to help the cause. "The voters of Sioux Falls are expressing a non-partisan outrage as we collect these [signatures]"
Danielson is spearheading a petition drive to get the measure in front of Sioux Falls voters before the bond sale for the project would begin in October. During his message, he announced that the Stop the Funding drive has already passed the 3,000 signature mark, meaning they are over halfway to the required number of 5,750. He added that they intend to turn the petitions into the city within the next week.
He calls it one of the most remarkable petition drives that he has ever been a part of. However, Danielson also held back his optimism on Tuesday morning's edition of the Greg Belfrage Show on KELO Radio, saying he's been told by the city that the petition deadline may have already passed, and that he's been told "there's a plan to challenge every signature on our petitions."
Related: Stop the Funding weekend petition drive 'huge success'
The city is planning to begin the bond sale for the building in October. According to those in favor of the project, it would bring employees together under one roof and improve the office conditions of many employees. Supporters also say it would allow the city to discontinue leasing office space and allow the city to add more workers and grow as the population grows.
