Christine Erickson details approach to beginning term as mayor

The best ideas to improve the city of Sioux Falls won’t always come from meeting rooms, Christine Erickson said on her third official workday as mayor.

And after emerging as the winner in a contest decided by only four votes, she said she knows that some people still might feel disappointed that their candidate didn’t win.

“We know with an historic election and close election, it reminds us how deeply people truly care about the future of our city,” Erickson said. “I don’t want anyone to feel their voice ended when the ballots were counted.”

That is why the Erickson administration has appointed not only a 10-member transition team but also formed learning teams made up of additional community members to focus on four “buckets”:

• Government operations and effectiveness.
• Public safety, infrastructure, emergency management and central services.
• Growth, housing and economic vitality.
• Community quality of life and residents’ experience.

The administration’s first 100 days will focus on listening, learning and developing recommendations to help strengthen Sioux Falls, Erickson said.

“We all know the best ideas don’t come from meeting rooms alone,” she said. “So you will see us out in the community gauging the public’s thoughts. When Sioux Falls listens and learns, we lead together.”

Erickson was sworn in as the 33rd mayor of Sioux Falls on Friday afternoon after a prolonged campaign that saw a June 2 election among five contenders, then a June 23 runoff versus Jamie Smith. After a recount, Erickson was declared the winner with 18,281 votes to Smith’s 18,277; Smith declined to take the matter to court and conceded.

Erickson served as a city councilor for two terms beginning in 2014. She admitted Tuesday that although she had led different meetings, she still felt a little “green … getting back in the saddle, learning the routine.”

She will meet with every city councilor to determine their passions and what they want to see happen in Sioux Falls. She knows what it is to sit in the councilors’ chairs, Erickson said, and she wants to make sure the relationship between councilors and mayor is intact.

The city currently is operating without three department directors in place: planning and development services, human resources, and parks and recreation. Her transition team is “digging into” each department, on a fact-finding mission to determine what is working well. It will be important to launch directors in the vacancies soon, Erickson said.

She also is focused on the city’s next budget. Her predecessor, Paul Ten Haken, submitted the proposed 2027-31 capital improvement program budget in June, which totaled nearly $1.1 billion and proposed investments in utility and transportation infrastructure, public safety and quality-of-life amenities and spaces.

Over time, changes may be proposed to that budget, Erickson said. For now, however, her focus is on learning the budget and understanding the work and hours that went into it.

Erickson said she was not prepared to talk about any proposed legislative changes regarding future elections. The most recent election became controversial when absentee ballots were received after the June 23 deadline and poll workers failed to stamp almost 30 ballots. She said she might partner with Smith to make sure “election integrity is intact and what it looks like for the public.”

“As I talked to Jamie Smith before he conceded, he and I had a conversation about is this something he and I could partner together, making sure that election integrity is intact and it works for the public,” Erickson said. “What that looks like is yet to be determined. But I certainly think that that should be on the table.”

Erickson had a vision for the city before her election. Her initiatives included public safety, with changes needed regarding parolees and an emphasis on youth literacy. But with a close vote, it is crucial to hear the public’s wishes, she said.

“What’s important for me is to bring the public alongside,” Erickson said. “With this being that close of a vote, we know that people want their voices heard, so I want to communicate more with the public in identifying some of those things.”