Minot - Mayor Tom Ross had an internal complaint filed against him January 28 and, subsequently, came under investigation. According to state law, the city has 75 days until the details of the complaint and ensuing investigation have to be made available to the public.
The internal investigation is expected to conclude in April, and could be released as soon as this week. Currently, there is a Special City Council meeting that is scheduled for Tuesday, April 1 where the results of the investigation are expected to be discussed. The big question looming is what happens next. Today, we explore several possible outcomes.
After the recent investigations that have happened in Minot, perhaps the community is a bit on edge now that another investigation has opened. There is a chance that the investigation will find that the complaint filed against Mayor Ross holds no substance and business will continue on as usual. In this case, the investigation would come to an end and no action would be taken by the Minot City Council.
According to credible sources, The Dakotan has learned that the complaint is considered legitimate and, allegedly, involves text message(s) sent by the mayor to a female city employee.
If the investigation does hold substance, the most likely course of action may be the mayor’s resignation. Mayor Ross has stated many times about his love and care for the Minot Community. If the investigation reveals actions that would cast a negative light on Mayor Tom Ross and the community of Minot it would not be surprising if he chose to step down.
If the Mayor were to resign, the City Council would need to take action to fill the vacancy until the next general election. This could be done through a special election, allowing candidates to run and Minot residents to vote. Alternatively, according to the North Dakota League of Cities, the Council could elect one of its own members as Mayor after a mandatory 15-day waiting period. In the immediate interim after the mayor resigns, the President of City Council would serve as acting mayor. Currently, the Minot City Council President is Alderman Mark Jantzer.
If Mayor Ross chooses to remain in office, the Minot City Council has limited authority to act, as he was elected by the voters. While they cannot remove him from office, the council does have the option to issue a censure, a formal statement of disapproval. A censure may simply serve as a public reprimand or could include additional measures, such as revoking certain ceremonial duties. Ultimately, the power to remove the mayor lies with the voters, not the council.
This brings us to the next possible step: a recall election. If enough signatures are collected, amounting to 25% of the total votes cast in the last mayoral election, a recall can be triggered. In that case, Mayor Ross would face removal by a vote of the people, and a new mayor would be elected by the citizens of Minot to complete the remainder of that term. Mayor Ross's term is set to conclude in June 2026.
A slim possibility is that Governor Kelly Armstrong could remove the mayor. According to the North Dakota Century Code, if the mayor has been guilty of misconduct, malfeasance, crime in office, neglect of duty in office, or of habitual substance abuse or gross incompetency then the Governor does have the authority to remove him. This process would take place over a period of time after a complaint is filed with the Attorney General. Upon completion of the investigation, the Attorney General will make recommendations to the Governor for next steps.
The next step in this process is expected to take place tomorrow, April 1, at City Hall. The Special City Council Meeting will, hopefully, bring closure to this process and allow Minot to begin moving forward.
