Mayor's Office Frequently Asked Questions

View Mayor TenHaken's Biography.

Paul TenHaken was elected to be mayor of Sioux Falls in 2018.

The Mayor is the Chief Executive Officer and Administrative Head of City government.

As Executive Officer of the City, the Mayor is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the City. Twelve City Department Directors and two other staff members report directly to the Mayor, along with 1,243 other City employees.

The Mayor represents the City in intergovernmental relationships.

The Mayor presents an annual State of the City message.

The Mayor annually submits a proposed budget and capital plan to the City Council.

The Mayor is recognized as the head of City government for all ceremonial purposes and by the Governor for purposes of military law.

The Mayor serves a four-year term and can serve a maximum of two consecutive four-year terms.  The Mayor is elected on a nonpartisan, at-large basis.

The Mayor chairs the City Council meetings and votes on issues before the Council only to break a tie vote.

The Mayor has power to veto Council legislation.  Vetoed ordinances and resolutions can be overridden by the Council by an affirmative vote of six members.

The Mayor has line-item veto power over most appropriation items in the budget or any ordinance or resolution.

Contact the Mayor's Office at 605-367-8827

The Mayor’s Office is located at 224 West Ninth Street on the first floor of City Hall.