FARGO (KFGO) – Fargo City Commissioner Dave Piepkorn is out as deputy mayor.
On a 3-2 vote, city commissioners stripped Piepkorn of the position. The motion was introduced by Commissioners Arlette Preston and John Strand as a result of inflammatory comments Commissioner Piepkorn has made in the past.
Strand said the most critical turning point for him was when Piepkorn went on the radio and told the public that he was going to go after the police chief’s position. “We hadn’t vetted that here, we hadn’t discussed it here,” he said.
Commissioner Preston said Piepkorn’s comments came down to a leadership issue and a position that represents the city commission as a body.
Piepkorn and Mayor Tim Mahoney voted against the removal of Piepkorn’s position. Mahoney said there have been some difficult commission meetings recently but Piepkorn’s duties beyond that have been very good, “pushing forward the great things Fargo is doing.”
Following the vote to rescind Piepkorn’s deputy mayor position, commissioners approved a motion to appoint Preston the new deputy mayor on a 4-1 vote. Piepkorn voted in favor of Preston’s appointment.
Mahoney was the lone no vote. He said Preston often did not follow the “rules” and had her own agenda that she would move forward with.
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