We’re a nonpartisan group of Fargo citizens working for better representation for Fargo residents. We’re on a mission to make it easier for Fargo residents to be heard and represented by city leaders.
Why Wards?
Fargo is the only city in the country with a population this size that still has a commission form of government. Fargo voters elect our city commissioners at-large, where the whole city votes for each of them.
We know that different areas of Fargo have different needs from South Fargo to Downtown Fargo to North Fargo and everywhere in between.
This is why we should elect our city representative by wards: so they live in our area of the city, know our needs, and can better represent us.
How do we get there?
A local petition to change to a Council with Wards was submitted with 4947 signatures to the City of Fargo Auditor’s office on June 5, 2026. That office will determine whether to approve the signatures by July 8, 2026. The special election will then be set for a date in September.
Council vs Commission
Comparing Forms of City Governance:
Council
Members elected from wards
A member representing a ward must live in the ward and be elected by residents in that ward
Guarantees representation across the entire city
City council members don’t have direct operational responsibilities for departments
The City Administrator is accountable for managing daily operations
The City Council has accountability for oversight of the overall budget, planning, and policies
The Mayor’s role: 1) CEO of the city, 2) does not vote on every issue, 3) has veto power (which can be overridden with 2/3 Council vote), and votes as a tie-breaker
Commission
Members elected at large
Members can live anywhere in the city and elected by all residents
No guarantee that commissioners will be elected from across the entire city
Commission members have direct oversight for assigned departments on budgeting, planning, and policy issues
Mayor's role: 1) CEO of the city and 2) votes on every issue with the same weight as every other Commission member
What Do Fargo Residents Think?
2023 Community Survey
Dr. Nicholas Bauroth, Director of Upper Midwest Center on Public Policy, conducted a community survey in 2023. The survey found that 49% of Fargo respondents would probably/definitely support changing to a Council form of governance. 19% would probably/definitely not support the change, and 31% were undecided.
2024 Community Survey
The City of Fargo’s 2024 community survey had one question about the type of governance structure people would like to see. The results revealed that 43% of residents would like to see a council form, while 29% wanted to remain with a commission, and 27% had no opinion.
Fargo Wards Petition FAQs
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Currently, Fargo City Commissioners are elected at-large, meaning the entire city votes for all positions on the commission.
The City Council system sets up wards where each council member would be elected by voters in that ward.
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If Fargo voters approve our ballot measure, there will be a total of 7 Fargo City Council members.
Fargo’s mayor would be a member of the Council and still be elected by all the voters in Fargo. This means there would be 6 wards to elect the other Council members.
Each candidate for a certain ward would need to live inside that ward and be elected by the residents in that ward. This would ensures a more equitable representation for all neighborhoods and residents across the City.
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There would be 6 wards.
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An independent committee would be appointed by the City Commission to draw the ward boundaries. The wards must have equal population (about the same number of people in each ward) and contiguous (all parts of the ward must be connected to form a single shape).
The boundary committee would make a recommendation of the map of the wards to the City Commission for their approval.
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Fargo’s mayor would still be elected by all residents of the city. With a City Commission, the Mayor is one of five Commissioners and votes on every issue brought to the Commission.
With a City Council, the Mayor’s role is considered a “strong Mayor” role because they have veto power and will be a tie-breaking vote when needed.
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Fargo is large enough to have neighborhoods with different concerns and needs and representation on the Council should reflect that.
Fargo is the only city in the entire country with a population greater than 100,000 that still has the Commission form.
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This change will add two additional Council members. The salary for a current member is about $27,000 per year. With benefits added in, the cost will be approximately $70,000 per year.
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The City Commission will appoint the boundary-setting committee which will recommend the boundaries to the Commission. Once the boundaries are set, the City Commission will set an election date for the new City Council members.
The 6 members will have staggered terms so that 3 people will initially have a 2-year term and the other 3 will have 4-year terms. Once the City Council is in place, all terms will be 4-year terms.
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A sitting City Commissioner could run for a City Council seat for the ward they reside in. If there are two current City Commissioners living in the same ward, they would need to compete for that seat alongside any other candidates from that ward.
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Wards will make it easier for people to run for City Council. It will reduce barriers for candidates, because it will be less expensive and less overwhelming to engage voters in one ward rather than the entire city.
Running for a position from a ward makes door-to-door campaigning possible, so the candidate would get to know the concerns of the neighborhood they are representing.
Residents of the ward would know who their elected official is and who to contact about a concern. When you know who represents you, it’s easier to reach out to them.
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Grand Forks has had a City Council + Ward system since they were incorporated in 1881.
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To sign the petition, you must be at least 18 years old, a US citizen, and a resident of Fargo for at least 30 days.
Follow us on Facebook to see where our volunteers will be next for you to sign it.