Fargo City Commission Votes Against Adopting Middle East Ceasefire Resolution

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) – – Fargo City Commission votes against the Human Rights Commission’s resolution supporting
a permanent ceasefire in the Middle East.

“Resolution fails for lack of a majority. We are adjourned,” said Mayor Tim Mahoney after the 2-2 vote.

Mahoney and Commissioner Denise Kolpack voted against adopting the resolution.

Commissioners John Strand and Arlette Preston voted in favor of it, while Commissioner Dave Piepkorn was not present.

The vote came after another round of pleas for a ceasefire by a number of members of the community.

The mayor limited the public comments since so many had signed up to speak.

He previously released a proclamation with Moorhead Mayor Shelly Carlson calling for enduring peace in the Gaza Strip.

Moorhead eventually passed its own ceasefire resolution.

“The comments I have heard the most are that they want their commissioners to do the work that they were elected to do and not take positions on political or social issues or turn our city commission meetings into a platform for national or international issues for which we have no control or authority,” said Kolpack.

“This is a local issue. Look at who’s in our audience, these are our people. Our citizens it is their families,” said Strand.

“It is the commission’s job to do everything that we can do to make Fargo a better place. It is beyond our scope to be weighing in on national and international policies,” Mahoney said.

Fargo-Moorhead CODEPINK issued a statement following the vote in Fargo saying the group is “disappointed but not deterred by tonight’s ceasefire resolution vote.”

They said “we are not going away and we will continue to show up for and with our Palestinian neighbors in Fargo, North Dakota.”