LISTEN: Fargo City Commissioner Dave Piepkorn’s conversation with The Flag’s Steve Hallstrom
FARGO, N.D. – Fargo City Commissioner Dave Piepkorn shared some of his top priorities if elected mayor including reducing spending and improving public safety.
Piepkorn called the way former Police Chief David Zibolski ran his department for five years “a disaster.”
“The damage that’s been done is going to take us years to undo. We’ve basically lost all of our culture and senior leadership. You can’t just hire somebody. That takes years to replace,” Piepkorn said on “The Steve Hallstrom Show” on The Flag.
Former Fargo Police captains Bill Ahlfeldt and Chris Helmick left the department last year and joined the Moorhead Police Department. Helmick is the chief and Ahlfeldt is the assistant chief.
Piepkorn also brought up he was the only commissioner who voted against bringing Mayor Dr. Tim Mahoney’s one cent sales tax increase to pay for infrastructure improvements to the voters in the June 9 election.
“It’s $34 million a year and will grow five to 10% every year. It’s a huge number. My only advice to the voters of Fargo is you never get a chance to reduce your taxes. This is your chance,” Piepkorn said.
Piepkorn shared he’d make staffing changes in city committees.
“In the past we’ve had lots of liberals appointed to almost every position and that would have a long-term impact for the City of Fargo,” Piepkorn said.
