North Dakota
Fargo city staff propose higher pay caps, restructuring employee compensation plan
FARGO — Amid struggles to hire and retain employees in a competitive job market, the city of Fargo is considering revamping its pay structure.
Fargo city commissioners gave mixed reactions to a presentation of the proposed changes during an informational meeting on Monday, June 17.
“Great plan,” Mayor Tim Mahoney said, “but if we can’t afford it, then it’s not going to work.”
The audience in the Fargo City Commission chambers on Monday was packed with Fargo firefighters following a
letter to the editor published in The Forum last November
where firefighters took their
concerns over pay and staff turnover to the public
.
“We have all the firemen here. They deserve a raise,” Mahoney said, “But we also want to be mindful of what we do to the taxpayers.”
The city’s Human Resources Director Jill Minette walked the commission through the proposed plan.
There are two options to consider, she said, Option A or Option B. Both include increases to employee pay across the pay step range, with Option B including higher pay caps.
For example, Minette said, an Equipment Operator III at the highest step makes about $73,000. Under the proposed changes, the pay cap on that position would rise to either $85,600 or $87,800.
There are 11 pay steps for city employees, she said. Under the proposed options, staff suggested increasing that to 17 steps and raising the pay cap.
If approved, the new plan would increase the pay amount at every step along the way and result in a higher pay cap for every position. Employees advance a step up the pay scale on an annual basis, in addition to COLA raises.
“This would have a substantial increase with the retention of the workforce,” Minette said.
In the existing pay structure, firefighters have 10 steps and police have nine. Under the proposals, they would both have 11 steps. Having fewer steps shortens the amount of time staff need to work for the city to reach those higher levels of pay and boost retention.
Fargo firefighter salaries are capped at about $84,800, Minette said. Their salaries would top out at nearly $90,000 under Option A and around $92,200 under Option B. Under the existing pay structure, police officers hit their cap at $89,700, while under Option A the cap would be $94,800 and under Option B it would be $97,100.
Around 30% of city employees are already at the maximum pay for their job, Minette said.
Those employees receive a cost-of-living adjustment each year.
The city of Fargo has seen turnover skyrocket since COVID-19, going from 4.37% in 2017 to 6.31% in 2020 before jumping to over 13% in 2021 and 2022 and going to 11.32% in 2023.
However, these higher turnover rates are still below the national average, Minette said.
“Not all resignations are due to pay,” she added. “There are a multitude of reasons that people leave.”
The cost for implementing the new pay structure options is varied, with Option A ringing up at $3 million and Option B at $5.5 million, Minette said, with roughly 80% of that cost coming from the city’s general fund.
These costs include what the city of Fargo will have to pay for all the step increases that are already heading their way in 2025, Assistant Director of Human Resources Beth Wiegman told The Forum via email. That incoming cost is $872,000, she said, meaning that, if approved, Plan A cost an additional $2.1 million and Plan B be an extra $4.69 million.
While he said he backs pay raises for staff, Commissioner Dave Piepkorn questioned how these plans would impact the city’s budget.
Staff recommended that the commission approve Option B — the more expensive of the options — before the start of 2025.
However, Commissioner Denise Kolpack said she did not have enough context to decide between Option A and Option B, noting both options seemed to be “putting the cart before the horse.”
The commission needs to discuss the big picture of city finances before deciding what to do, she said.
She asked the finance, administration and human resources staff committee to decide the city’s compensation philosophy and pass that recommendation to the full City Commission for review.
Mahoney said it’s important for the city to offer competitive salaries for staff because the city trains “excellent” people who then leave to work in the private sector.
“It is a complex salary structure. It always was. But we’re trying to be competitive,” Mahoney said.
BISMARCK (KFGO) — The North Dakota Department of Public Health reports the state now has six cases of measles, including four in Pembina County and one in Cavalier County.
The first case was reported in Williams County February 4. The second case was reported in Pembina County Thursday, and more cases were reported there Friday.
The department says people with measles may have exposed others to the disease at Sam’s Club and Sanford Allergy Clinic in Fargo Monday morning. Infected people visited several businesses in Grand Forks as well. Those include:
- Charra and Tequila Mexican Cuisine, 3915 32nd Ave. S. in Grand Forks on Feb. 4, between noon and 3 p.m.
- Altru Pediatrics Clinic, 1380 S. Columbia Rd. in Grand Forks on Feb. 9, between 12:10 p.m. and 7 p.m.
- Hobby Lobby, 3181 32nd Ave. S. in Grand Forks on Feb. 9, between 1:15 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.
- Starbucks, 3551 32nd Ave S in Grand Forks on Feb. 9, between 2 p.m. and 4:15 p.m.
- ALDI, 2771 32nd Ave. S. in Grand Forks on Feb. 11, between 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
- Sams Club, 2501 32nd Ave. S. in Grand Forks on Feb. 11, between 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.
- Dakota Pediatric Dentistry, 3990 S. Columbia Rd. in Grand Forks on Feb. 11, between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
The health department says four of the cases are in people who are not vaccinated.
Measles is a highly contagious virus. Symptoms include fever, rash, cough, and runny nose.
DICKINSON, N.D. — Terrance Lockett is no longer employed as the head coach of the Dickinson girls’ basketball team, effective immediately, according to Dickinson Public Schools on Wednesday.
“The district took action consistent with its policies and expectations for professional conduct,” Dickinson High School athletic director Guy Fridley said in a statement to the Press.
Updates to the allegations
Allegations that Lockett was arrested on school property were not initially confirmed by the district. On Thursday morning, a spokesperson for DPS told the Press that “he was asked to leave the building” and later confirmed that Lockett had been arrested Tuesday and terminated Wednesday.
Dickinson Police Department said, however, that Lockett was arrested on school property — outside the school — on criminal trespass charges for “refusing to leave.” Lt. Michael Hanel said Thursday morning that a press release would be forthcoming from the department.
As of Thursday morning, Lockett was not listed on the roster of individuals held at the Southwest Multi-County Correction Center.
No clarification was given by Fridley on what sparked the district’s termination, except that “per district policy, we do not comment on specific personnel matters.”
However, Fridley added that “the matter does not involve students.”
Police said they would “concur” with the school district’s statement regarding students.
Press staff reached out to the former coach Wednesday evening, and Lockett responded almost immediately.
“I really enjoyed the girls, it just didn’t work out for me,” Lockett told The Dickinson Press. “[I] love the program and the community.”
The school announced that Reggie Fields will take over as interim head coach for the remainder of the season and that the girls’ basketball program will continue without interruption.
“We put students first, and our focus remains on supporting our student-athletes as they move forward with their season,” Fridley said.
Fields, who has served as an assistant coach this season, will lead the team for its final games. He joined Dickinson after serving as head coach of the Belfield girls’ basketball team last season.
Lockett, who was in the midst of his second season as head coach, finishes his tenure with a 4-36 overall record.
Fridley confirmed that the recent departure of the girls’ wrestling coach was not connected to Lockett’s termination.
Carter is a sports reporter for the Dickinson Press. Born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, he graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2025 with a journalism degree.
BROOKINGS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) -The South Dakota State Women’s basketball team isn’t accustomed to being in 3rd place in the Summit League at any point in the season. But the regular season is winding down, so every game takes on even more importance as they try to catch the Bison.
The South Dakota State women’s basketball team outscored North Dakota 77-32 over the final three quarters to beat the Fighting Hawks 94-48 Thursday night at First Bank & Trust Arena.
Up just one at 18-17 after 10 minutes, SDSU put together a 21-1 run to end the second period and was dominant the rest of the way. The Jackrabbits scored 33 points in the final quarter on nearly 70% shooting.
Brooklyn Meyer posted her sixth double-double of the year and the 19th of her career with a 21-point, 15-rebound outing. The senior also contributed five assists and two steals and went 9-for-13 from the floor, all in just 23 minutes of action. SDSU got points from 12 different players, including eight Jackrabbits with at least seven points. After Meyer, Madison Mathiowetz and Maggie Hartwig scored 11 points apiece, then Katie Vasecka chipped in nine. Emilee Fox and Hadley Thul each scored eight and Hilary Behrens and Brooklynn Felchle had seven apiece.
Thul, in her second game as a starter, added seven rebounds and three assists to her stat line. Hartwig tallied five boards. Mahli Abdouch dished four assists to go with her five points. The Jackrabbits finished the game shooting 54% from the field, the 10th game this year SDSU has been better than .500. The team out-rebounded the Hawks, 45-26, and had a 22-10 advantage in assists. UND was held to 35% shooting and turned the ball over 18 times, which resulted in 17 points for SDSU. Three UND players scored 10 points apiece – Lauren Hillesheim, Mackenzie Hughes and Walker Demers. Hughes also gave out six assists and Demers notched four blocks. SDSU is 19-6 overall and 9-2 in the Summit League. UND is 7-19 on the year and 3-9 in conference games.
NOTES
- SDSU takes a 42-41 lead in the all-time series.
- Brooklyn Meyer moved in fourth place on SDSU’s career scoring chart with 1,867 points and 10th place on the career rebounds chart with 772 boards,
- South Dakota State is one win shy of reaching 20 wins for the 15th straight season.
UP NEXT
South Dakota State hosts Kansas City Saturday afternoon at First Bank & Trust Arena. Tip is set for 2 p.m. with National Girls & Women in Sports Day activities beginning at 1 p.m.
Copyright 2026 Dakota News Now. All rights reserved.
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