Former Sioux Falls mayor, crusader against junk cars, dies

Joe Sneve
Argus Leader
Joe Cooper

The man who served as the city of Sioux Falls' 25th mayor has died.

Joe Cooper passed away on Saturday in hospice care at age 90.

Cooper served as mayor from 1984 to 1986 and led to the formation of a full-time city attorney staff and neighborhood cleanup programs that are known today as Project N.I.C.E. and K.E.E.P.

"I want to do anything I can to make this a safer community," Cooper told the Argus Leader in 1985. "I get upset when I see people who care about the property in their neighborhood and then somebody gives it a bad name."

Within his first year in office, city code enforcers worked with property owners to pull nearly 700 junk cars from Sioux Falls neighborhoods, according to an Argus Leader report.

Coming from the news media world, Cooper quit a job in television broadcasting to run for mayor in 1984. He was seen as an outsider to city government who didn't make any dramatic campaign promises.

Joe Cooper

City councilor Janet Brekke was hired as the city's first-full time attorney by Cooper. 

She said Cooper came into office during a time of rapid growth for the city, and wanted to be a steady presence to help Sioux Falls embrace challenges that come with a changing population.

"He had really good organizational and speaking skills. He was no dummy," she said.

Cooper only served one term before deciding to seek a city commissioner position in the 1986 election, but was unable to earn enough votes to secure one of four spots up for grabs in that race.

A visitation ceremony to honor Cooper will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Miller Funeral Home with funeral services scheduled for 1 p.m. Thursday at Hope Lutheran Church. Burial will follow at Hills of Rest Cemetery.