Fargo, N.D. – Fargo Mayor Dr. Tim Mahoney appears to be against the idea of holding primary elections for City Commission roles and even his own job, and is also sharing his reasons why the city should not switch to a ward system.
“You need to make decisions that are best for the citizens of the whole community,” Mahoney said during The Flag’s What’s on Your Mind? on Wednesday.
During a June 9th commission meeting, a group of residents called for a primary election each June to choose candidates for local offices that would be determined in the general election in the fall.
The request follows a state decision to ban Fargo’s approval voting system.
Listen: Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney on The Flag’s What’s On Your Mind?
But Mahoney believes a switch from the current June city election to a primary system wouldn’t be cost-effective for candidates.
“Right now it costs about five to ten thousand dollars for a commissioner to run a campaign,” said Mahoney, who claims those costs would double.
“It can get significantly higher if you hold a primary for the November election.”
Mahoney also shared reasons why the city shouldn’t change to a ward system, which would allow elected officials to represent certain sections of the city.
“To me, it’s cost prohibitive if it gets too big,” said Mahoney, who also questions how boundaries would be drawn up.
“Because you’re always trying to get either something for your neighborhood, or you don’t want another neighborhood to get it. It gets a little bit more parochial on what is best for the growth of the city and the city overall.”
There’s been a call for a special election this fall for voters to decide if Fargo should change to a primary election system.
