With a booming population, growing economy, and a $773 million city budget to manage, South Dakota’s largest city faces an important decision. In 2026, Sioux Falls voters will elect their next mayor, a leader who may shape the city for the next eight years. The question is: Who is ready to do the job?

Due to a recent change by the South Dakota Legislature, the city’s elections will no longer be held in April. The new rules push the vote to either June or November, most likely June, with the possibility of a runoff a few weeks later if no candidate secures a majority.

As interest in the race builds, so does the list of potential candidates. But amid the buzz, a core question looms: What makes someone qualified to serve as the chief executive of a city with 1,400 full-time employees, 12 departments, and a rapidly expanding urban footprint?

Sioux Falls City Hall

This Isn’t a Council Seat, It’s a CEO Role

The Sioux Falls city charter says, “The executive and administrative power of the city shall be vested in a mayor.” Electing a mayor is different from choosing a legislator or city council member. This job isn’t about representing a district or debating policies. It’s about managing people, resources, and an increasingly complex operation. It’s about setting priorities, enforcing accountability, and delivering results in real time.

In many respects, the role resembles that of a private sector CEO. The 2025 city budget tops $773.2 million, covering public safety, roads, water systems, parks, libraries, housing initiatives, and more. Effective leadership means balancing that budget while investing for the future.

Experience Matters

For a city this size, the number one qualification in the eyes of many is executive experience. Preferably, the next mayor will have led or at least managed a part of a large organization, ideally one with hundreds of employees and a complex budget.

That hasn’t always been the standard. But perhaps it should be as our city grows both in size and complexity. In a perfect world, we might now look for someone in their 50s — seasoned, financially secure, and motivated by a desire to give back. Someone whose children are grown and who isn’t chasing the next promotion and is instead motivated to make an enduring positive impact in our community.

Why the Best Candidates Might Not Apply

One persistent obstacle is pay. The mayor of Sioux Falls earns significantly less than many of the professionals who report to them, and certainly less than comparable jobs in the private sector. That’s a quirk of public sector compensation that can deter high-caliber candidates. For top executives in business or healthcare, running for mayor could mean a significant pay cut.

If the city wants to attract its best and brightest, it may need to reconsider that equation. A more competitive salary for the mayor and for city council members, whose workload has grown beyond part-time expectations, would be a step toward treating local government like the serious enterprise it is.

Big Questions Await the Next Mayor

As campaign season approaches, voters should press candidates to articulate their vision. Key issues include:

• Smart Growth: Should Sioux Falls continue to pursue growth for growth’s sake, or instead start prioritizing quality-of-life factors?
• Decaying Neighborhoods and Struggling Schools: Central neighborhoods face mounting challenges, from aging infrastructure to multiple Title I schools where students’ basic needs often go unmet. How will the next mayor tackle these deep-rooted issues?
• Revisiting the City Charter: It’s been decades since Sioux Falls reviewed its foundational governing document. Is it time to revisit the charter, modernize outdated provisions and rethink the role of mayor?

One of those provisions worth reconsidering: the mayor’s seat on the city council. Most American cities run by a strong-mayor system operate under a separation-of-powers model where the mayor handles executive duties and the council handles legislation. Removing the mayor from the council would bring Sioux Falls in line with that best practice structure.

Sioux Falls is Growing

A Chance to Choose Boldly

The 2026 mayoral election is more than a routine contest. It’s a chance for Sioux Falls to choose bold, experienced leadership at a time of tremendous opportunity and growing complexity.

It’s also a chance to ask hard questions about the future: What kind of city do we want to be? And who is truly ready to lead us there?

With the right leader, Sioux Falls can reach its full potential. But first, voters must insist on experience, vision and a willingness to challenge the status quo. The next mayor won’t just manage our city; they’ll have the opportunity to establish its future.