FARGO, N.D – Candidate for mayor of Fargo Sekou Sirleaf said he’s running because he wants to end the disconnect between City Hall and the people living in the city.
“I want to make sure the residents of Fargo have a voice, they have a say, they get to know what City Hall is about. We have to transition the city,” Sirleaf said on “Talk of the Town With Jon Adams” on WDAY Radio.
The chair of Fargo’s Human Rights Commission believes the city should focus on public safety, but that doesn’t just mean with law enforcement. He said there should be mental health services so police officers don’t have to respond to people in crisis. He said the city needs to do more to curb its poverty rate which he says stands at 12.8%.
“Poverty creates crime, so we’ve got to put our dollar where they should be,” Sirleaf said.
Sirleaf also wants to put more of an effort on MATBUS serving more of the city so people can get to work.
In December 2025, the Fargo City Commission voted to give the Human Rights Commission time to come up with a plan to continue its work under different umbrellas after Mayor Dr. Tim Mahoney recommended dissolving the group.
Sirleaf said the Human Rights Commission was set up to fail since it only has the opportunity to suggest things to be acted on by the City Commission.
“When Shane Netterville was killed by Fargo Police, we called for an independent investigation. City Hall shot that down. Let us collaborate with the Police Advisory and Oversight Board. We got shut down. During the war in Gaza, young people came to meet the Human Rights Commission. We voted on a resolution to the City Commission. They shot that down. We’re there, but we can’t do anything,” Sirleaf said.
In August 2022, North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley said Fargo Police Officer Adam O’Brien’s use of deadly force was justified since Netterville drove towards O’Brien despite telling him multiple times to not start the vehicle and get out of the car.
“Fargo Police conducted themselves professionally, bravely and within the law,” Wrigley said.
You can watch Sirleaf’s interview with Jon Adams by clicking the video above or listen to it by clicking here.
