How last-minute budget additions will combat panhandling

Megan Raposa -

Simplified: Two last-minute amendments to the City of Sioux Falls' 2025 budget will bring a total of $300,000 to support efforts to combat "nuisance issues" in Sioux Falls – with strong implication from officials that those issues refer to homelessness and panhandling.

Why it matters

  • The word "panhandling" was never explicitly stated during Tuesday night's City Council meeting, but Sioux Falls Police Chief Jon Thum strongly implied that the "nuisance issues" happening both downtown and citywide were related to unhoused individuals and folks who are asking for money at street corners.
  • Councilor Ryan Spellerberg brought two separate amendments Tuesday night – both of which passed unanimously and with minimal council discussion. One allocated $150,000 for a marketing campaign to encourage the public to donate to charities rather than to panhandlers.
  • Another amendment allocated $150,000 to expand Downtown Sioux Falls, Inc.'s ambassador program – people who walk around downtown in bright red shirts to do everything from pick up trash to " monitoring and reporting issues that may require a police presence," President and CEO Joe Batcheller told councilors.
"If you’ve been downtown you’ve seen (the ambassadors) engaging with the public, keeping downtown Sioux Falls beautiful but also working on some of the nuisance issues we’ve experienced this year," Thum said, adding that the goal of the ambassadors is to create a "welcoming visitor experience."

Tell me more about the budget amendments

Both amendments are moving money from the general fund – specifically revenue from liquor licenses.

  • Funding for the ambassador program will come from the city planning department, and funding for the marketing campaign will go to the city's communications department.

Thum cited the police department's success with a "lock your cars" campaign as an example of the importance of targeted marketing campaigns.

  • For the first time in several years, the number of stolen vehicles is on the decline, Thum said. And he credits the department's marketing efforts for that change.

Similarly, Thum hopes to get out the message of "give to charity," rather than giving cash directly to people asking for it.

What happens next?

Councilors approved next year's budget Tuesday night, which means we'll likely start seeing the results of these budget amendments as soon as early 2025.