Thirty-two years ago, Sioux Falls made one of the most important political decisions in its history. By a margin of just 156 votes, residents approved a new home rule charter that replaced the city’s commission form of government with the mayor-council system we still use today.

This year, voters elected the fifth mayor to serve under that charter. For the first time in the city’s history, a woman will lead Sioux Falls. That milestone seems like an appropriate moment to look back at the close election that made today’s city government possible.

Looking back, it’s hard to imagine where Sioux Falls would be if those 156 voters had gone the other way.

I had the privilege of helping initiate the change and draft the new charter. That experience taught me two lessons that I still believe today. First, governmental structure matters. Second, changing government is far more difficult than changing almost anything else.

Why Change Was Needed

In the 1980s, Sioux Falls operated under a city commission form of government. Five elected commissioners not only made policy but also directly managed city departments.

That arrangement created an obvious problem. Elections are a good way to choose political leaders. They are a poor way to select professional managers.

A candidate with little management training or experience could suddenly become responsible for hundreds of city employees. While some commissioners did an admirable job, others struggled. More importantly, the city often lacked unified leadership. Commissioners naturally focused on their own departments, and disagreements frequently spilled into public view.

As Sioux Falls grew, that system became increasingly outdated.

Citizens Took the Lead

The effort to change didn’t begin inside City Hall. It began outside of it.

The public and the press were frustrated with city government. A diverse group of community volunteers, including business leaders, labor representatives, educators, retirees, and other interested citizens, came together to study how other cities governed themselves. We weren’t trying to solve a political problem. We were trying to solve a management problem.

After months of research, public discussion, and debate, we concluded that Sioux Falls needed a chief executive who could be responsible for running the business of the city and speaking with one voice on behalf of the community.

South Dakota’s home rule provisions gave us the opportunity to design a government that fit Sioux Falls rather than simply accepting the structure state law provided. We drafted a new city charter built around a strong mayor, an independent city council, and clear lines of responsibility.

The campaign that followed was spirited. Some elected officials opposed the proposal.  Their jobs were threatened. Even some community and business leaders were lukewarm on the proposal. While the status quo wasn’t perfect, it was known. Voters ultimately had the final say.

After eighteen thousand votes were counted, they approved the new charter by the narrowest of margins.

Over Thirty Years of Perspective

Three decades is enough time to evaluate whether a governmental system works. In my view, the new structure has been an overwhelming success.

Four mayors from different backgrounds and with different leadership styles have now governed under the mayor-council system. That’s enough experience to judge whether the structure works independently of the individuals who occupy the office.

In my view, it has. The problems we set out to solve have largely been solved.

But We Didn’t Get Everything Right

Designing a new form of government isn’t very different from designing a new business or rewriting a constitution. You try to anticipate every situation, but experience is always the final judge. Three decades later, I still believe we got the big things right. I also believe we got one important thing wrong.

Our intention was for the council to be a strong, separate branch of city government. The council controls the city’s finances, adopts public policy, and is the city’s legislative body. We envisioned thoughtful debate, long-range planning, and healthy oversight of the executive branch.

Too often, however, the council has not fully developed that independent role. Outstanding individuals have served on the council over the years, but the institution itself has sometimes been too deferential to the mayor’s office.

Projects have occasionally moved forward with too little public discussion and too little independent scrutiny. The Village on the River project is one example that comes to mind. Whatever one’s opinion of that development, it demonstrated the importance of asking difficult questions before major public decisions are made.

One Change I Would Still Make

Looking back, I believe we strengthened the executive branch a little too much.

Under our charter, the mayor not only serves as chief executive but also presides over City Council meetings and casts tie-breaking votes. At the time, we believed this would promote strong leadership. Today, I think it unnecessarily blurs the line between the executive and legislative branches.

One of the enduring principles of American government is the separation of powers. We expect Congress to conduct its own business without being chaired by the President. We expect the South Dakota Legislature to choose its own leaders rather than having the governor preside over debate.

The same principle should apply in city government.

If I could amend the charter today, I would simply allow the City Council to elect its own chairperson while leaving the mayor fully responsible for managing city government. The change would strengthen the council’s independence without weakening the executive leadership that has served Sioux Falls so well.

A Vote Worth Remembering

Governmental structures rarely receive much public attention. Most people understandably focus on elections, personalities, or individual issues. But institutions matter.

The framework of government often shapes decisions long after the names of elected officials have faded from memory.

Thirty years ago, 156 votes changed the way Sioux Falls governs itself. I am convinced that voters made the right choice.

Good government isn’t created by accident. It results from thoughtful design, capable leadership, and a willingness to improve even successful systems. The charter adopted in the 1990s has served Sioux Falls remarkably well. I hope future generations will have the courage to refine it whenever experience suggests there is a better way.