“Serving the people of Sioux Falls is a lot of work, but the rewards are just phenomenal.”  That’s the reason Mike Huether wants to be Mayor of Sioux Falls for another four years.

Huether and Kermit Staggers were the two left standing amongst a slew of candidates in 2010 during the last mayoral election.  The runoff was a Huether victory, of course and he enters this election as a seasoned member of city government.

From that perspective, the former First Bankcard Executive finds an underrated theme behind the city’s success.  “The thing I’m most thrilled about is just the confident nature of our town.  We are growing, investing, dreaming, and is visionary again.  It’s different than four years ago.”

What Huether has gleaned from his time in office is that he is not good at waiting.  “Government is different.  You have these decisions that you agree to move forward and then someone wants to have another community meeting or the Council will say, ‘We want to rethink that.’  That’s something I had to grow into.”

Crime has become a topic of conversation as the election approaches.  “In Sioux Falls we realize that public safety is paramount to our quality of life.”  Huether also points out substance abuse as a root cause.  “The main reasons for our crime are drugs and alcohol.  We take it seriously.  The police department has added 15 officers in the past four years.  We’ll stay one step ahead of it.”

Greg Jamison is the challenger in the race for Mayor.  During the campaign, Jamison has indicated that Huether needs to be forthcoming regarding investments in business developments.  The air of impropriety could cast a pall over the process of approving or denying projects based on whether city officials or their spouses would benefit.  Huether responded by getting an independent entity to check for pitfalls.  “I immediately went to the Board of Ethics.  I wanted them to review everything that was not only done by my wife Cindy, but also by me.  The Board of Ethics said that we met and even went beyond (the standard).  The findings were then presented to the City Council.”

The election is Tuesday April 8.  To dive into the conversation a little deeper, sample the complete interview below in four segments.

Segment 1: Huether talks about his optimism and challenges to being Mayor.

Segment 2: Crime takes center stage in the campaign.

Segment 3: Has Huether been totally forthcoming about his investments?

Segment 4: Huether uninterrupted.

More From Hot 104.7 - KKLS-FM