Flakoll announces campaign for Fargo City Commission

FARGO – Former state Sen. Tim Flakoll will run for a spot on the Fargo City Commission, he announced Thursday, March 15.

Flakoll, who made his campaign announcement at the Fargo Holiday Inn hotel, currently serves as provost of the Tri-College University and commission chair of the Midwestern Higher Education Compact. He said he’s determined to make Fargo more attractive to millenials looking for a city to settle down in.

“They can work anywhere in the world at this point. We need to have a place that’s inviting to them to stay for their whole life,” he said.

Flakoll’s five campaign pillars  include vibrant economic development, quality infrastructure, quality city, safe neighborhoods and good governments.

“We must vitalize flood protection and never stop striving to get the best housing, roads, and water supply possible,” he said.

There are two ways to get on the June 12 ballot, he said: collect 300 signatures directly from Fargo residents, or pay the $100 fee. Flakoll chose the former, saying that’s more his style.

“It’s important to me to match up the wants of people with the skill set that I have,” he said.

Flakoll was defeated in a re-election bid for the North Dakota Senate from Fargo's District 44 in 2016, losing the vote to Democratic challenger Merrill Piepkorn and the legislative seat he had held since 1998.

He’s also served on the board of the Fargo Planning Commission, the Vocational Training Center and the Anne Carlsen Center, and previously was vice president and general manager of the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks baseball team.

“I love Fargo and I want to spend the rest of my life here,” Flakoll said. “I think there’s things that I can do to make it an even better place to live, work, play, learn and retire.”

A Fargo city commissioner is limited to serving three, four-year terms, at which point they can run again for re-election. This year, two commission seats and the office of the mayor will be up for election on June 12.

Last September, Mayor Tim Mahoney told media that he planned to run for re-election.

So far, only three candidates have filed to run for the commission, including Lenny Tweeden, former commissioner Mike Williams and current commissioner Tony Gehrig, according to City Auditor Steve Sprague. The deadline to file as a candidate is April 9.

Fargo City Commissioners have a yearly salary of $25,012.