July 27, 2021

This paid piece is sponsored by Sioux Metro Growth Alliance.

He walked to the mound to kick off the state American Legion baseball tournament not having thrown a pitch in 35 years, hoping he could get it halfway home.

One bounce to the catcher later, Jim Heinitz had fulfilled yet one more duty in an unlikely encore career as mayor of the city of Brandon.

“I’m not retired, but repurposed,” joked the city leader, who was appointed to the role by the City Council in May, months after retiring as CEO of Furniture Mart USA.

Before that, he’d spent 30 years coaching in a career that led him to become Augustana University’s all-time winningest football coach.

“I felt like there was time to do more,” said Heinitz, who has lived in Brandon for 43 years.

“And we’re gifted to have a very strong staff, and it makes the mayor’s job much easier.”

We caught up with Heinitz to learn more about his new role and the growth of his community.

So you’re a couple of months into the job. How’s it going? The role of mayor in Brandon is part time, but is it really part time?

Former mayors were fully employed, and it’s more than you’d want to do with another full-time job. And as the city grows, I think it becomes more complicated. There’s meetings, social functions, things where the mayor should have a presence and those all take time. Fortunately, I have time. And it’s been challenging but very interesting.

But it’s going well. Through the end of June, we already had more building permits, 47, than all of last year, which was 45, so the growth is strong.

What’s been the most surprising part of the job?

The knowledge of infrastructure that’s required – engineering, water, sewer – and all the dynamics involved and what people do to keep the city running. As a guy who just lived in town, I think you take a lot of things for granted. You think you just flush a toilet or turn on the water, and yet what goes into making things happen is unbelievable.

What’s new in Brandon? What’s behind the level of building activity?

There are several developments, commercially and residentially, being looked at, especially on Holly and Rice Street and halfway between Sioux Falls. There’s a lot going on, and I think it’s continued growth in part being close to Sioux Falls but also continuing to grow our identity as Brandon.

We’ve had inquiries in our industrial park. We have a company looking to build in Brandon right now, and our development committee has done a great job continuing to try and attract businesses. Residentially, we have a project going on near the interstate, which is exciting.

What challenges or opportunities exist for Brandon?

We need to grow our retail district. We have quite a bit, but it needs to grow, and that’s a focus. However, our sales tax revenues are up, extremely, for the first six months. And I think you’ll see continued growth; I can think of one area where probably another 160 acres that could someday be residential. You’ll see a lot more change over the next five to 10 years. It never ceases to amaze me.

Ultimately, the role of mayor is an elected one. Have you thought about running for office when the appointment is up next spring?

I’ve been very upfront with people. I’ve told them we’ll see how it goes, and I gave them no indication, and I have no indication at this point whether I’d run. It’s been very interesting and very rewarding, and I enjoy it. We’ll see.