Piepkorn Recall Effort Ends

Today was the deadline for filing the names with the city auditors office which would determine if there were enough valid signatures to call for a recall election later this summer.

FARGO (KFGO) – The citizens group who launched an effort to recall Fargo City Commissioner Dave Piepkorn says it will not file its petitions.

Today was the deadline for filing the names with the city auditors office which would determine if there were enough valid signatures to call for a recall election later this summer.

Andrew Lenzmeier, spokesman for The Committee to Recall Dave Piepkorn, told KFGO News his group did not feel confident there were enough valid signatures but he says more troubling were recent public comments Piepkorn allegedly made that he promised to “personally obtain” the names of everyone who signed the petitions. Lenzmeier says his group considered that an attempt by Piepkorn to intimidate people from signing the petitions and as such decided not to follow through on the recall. Piepkorn was not immediately available for comment.

The group needed just over 3500 eligible votes. The auditor then had 30 days to verify signatures signatures and then set an election date. Piepkorn’s seat is up for re-election in June 2018.

The group launched the petition drive in March, angered by what they say is Piepkorn’s attack on the refugee population in Fargo. Piepkorn began questioning refugee resettlement last year because he believed it was a taxpayer burden and public safety issue.