I read the Post article from this weekend, and one part stuck with me. Not because it was malicious or intentionally misleading, but because it left out an important piece of context that matters when we talk about TIFs in Rapid City.
In the article, my friend on the opposition, Senator Howard, shared a story from a Coffee With A Cop event where a local business owner, the owner of Qdoba, said, “I didn’t get a TIF.” And on its face, that’s true. Qdoba did not receive a TIF directly.
What she leaves out of that story is that the very next thing discussed in that meeting was that all of Rushmore Crossing was in a TIF.
That matters.
Qdoba is a tenant inside Rushmore Crossing, a development that did receive a TIF. That TIF wasn’t about helping one restaurant. It was about building the infrastructure that made the entire area possible. Roads, utilities, site prep, parking, drainage, and long-term investment all came from that development-level TIF. Every business inside Rushmore Crossing benefits from it, whether they realize it or not.
This isn’t a knock on that business owner. Most people don’t think about TIFs this way, and honestly, that’s part of the problem. We talk about TIFs like they’re handed out to individual storefronts, when in reality they’re tools used to create places where dozens of businesses can operate successfully.And here’s where my personal perspective comes in.
I’m a big believer in shopping locally. I bought a lot of my Christmas presents at Mitzi’s Books and Who’s Toy House. Those places matter to me, and they matter to this community.
I’m also getting old, so I’m thankful there’s an Ulta. Target and Scheels? Yeah, I need those too.
I like to go fishing with my dad and my twins, which means Cabela’s is part of our routine. I’ve got size 13 feet, so I appreciate knowing my Vans will actually fit at Shoe Carnival.
I somehow became the latest VIP member at Barnes & Noble last Christmas season. I’m weirdly particular about candles, which get expensive fast, so TJ Maxx is a must. The Man Salon cuts my hair. One of the best local lunch options in town is Gyro Hub. And Nothing Bundt Cakes somehow always manages to drop something delicious off at HomeSlice. My kids buy me gift certificates to Men’s Wearhouse, although if we’re being honest I sometimes prefer Main St Menswear. I buy their gaming gifts at Game Stop and I bought specialty bulldog allergy cream at PetCo.
Why does any of this matter?
Because our city doesn’t work if we pretend it’s either “local businesses” or “developments.” It’s both. The places I shop, eat, and spend time with my family exist because someone invested in the infrastructure that made them viable.
TIFs aren’t about picking winners. They’re about building places. And Rushmore Crossing is a clear example of that. You don’t have to love TIFs to acknowledge how they actually work. But we do ourselves a disservice when we leave out key facts in the conversation.
If we want honest discussions about growth, taxes, and opportunity in Rapid City, we owe it to ourselves to tell the whole story. While I have friends on both sides of this issue, I’m voting Yes and I hope you’ll join me when we talk about TIFs in Rapid City.