SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - Hartford voters are determining the fate of the economic development director in today’s referendum vote.
Jeremy Menning with Growing Hartford Campaign says the city council didn’t consult the chamber, the Hartford Area Development Corporation or individual businesses before voting to eliminate the position.
Voters saved the position by a wide margin, with 63% saying “No” (a vote in favor of keeping the position) and 37% saying “yes” (to terminate the position). KELO Radio’s Bill Zortman was there as the ballots were hand counted on Tuesday night, he said the voter turnout of around 40% was higher than any other city election the community has held in the last four years, but it was an issue that the business community in Hartford took up passionately. “Both sides worked very hard, put out a lot of information, killed a lot of trees, a lot of talk at coffee shops and around town.”
But the talk isn’t done here; Zortman said the next step will be re-working the city’s finances for the remainder of the year. That discussion will take place on Wednesday night, and the city is expecting a lot of opinions. “That meeting has already been moved from City Hall to the much larger American Legion Hall across the street.” The city must decide how to work that into what’s already been budgeted for projects like Jamboree Days, Christmas, and the Hartford Chamber.
On a four to three vote, a tie broken by the Hartford Mayor, the Council decided to end the position at the end of the year saying it was not worth the extra cost.