Update: City attorney says Mahoney can’t run for another term

FARGO (KVRR/KFGO) – Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney is continuing his legal battle against the city as he seeks to run for another term.

The city charter says a person can serve three successive terms on the Fargo City Commission as a commissioner and a fourth term if any of the terms are also served as mayor.

Mahoney was a city commissioner when he was appointed to fulfill the term of Mayor Dennis Walaker following his death from cancer.  He was later elected mayor in a special election.

Mahoney says he would like to run again, but the issue hasn’t been settled. Mahoney’s attorney, Tami Norgard, said it was her interpretation of the city charter and other legal cases that Mahoney could run again because he didn’t have successive terms.

Fargo’s City Attorney Erik Johnson disagreed in a memo saying he believes the mayor has hit his term limit and cannot run again. The commission decided to direct Johnson to weigh in about Mahoney’s eligibility at a later date.

Commissioners also formed a task force to look at potentially transitioning to a ward system and allowing residents to decide whether the Commission should keep or discontinue term limits. Those issues could be on the June 2022 ballot.