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Fargo residents press commission over 2026 budget cuts to transit, public safety and social services
Summary
At a public hearing on the preliminary 2026 budget, residents urged alternatives to proposed cuts that they say would disproportionately affect low‑income people, mass transit and frontline public‑safety services.
The Fargo City Commission opened a public hearing on the city’s preliminary 2026 budget and heard multiple speakers urging alternatives to proposed cuts to mass transit, social services and public‑safety programs. No budget vote was taken; staff said the commission will consider final adoption in two weeks.
City staff displayed a preliminary general fund balanced at just over $140,000,000 and said the hearing would inform the final budget. Christopher Cohn, a Fargo resident, urged the commission to avoid deep cuts that would fall on vulnerable populations. He said proposed reductions to public transit service — including reductions to Route 15 and a 33% cut in some transit funding — could reduce ridership, risk a loss of federal funding and “actually wreck mass transit.” Cohn suggested spreading reductions across multiple budget lines, modest fee increases and smaller cuts to streets and nonprofits rather than steep cuts to transit.
Glenn Knutson, another resident, raised concerns about public safety and downtown conditions, asking how the police department will handle calls if staffing and response levels are held flat. He described visible public‑safety issues downtown and questioned whether the city’s diversion and outreach services were reducing crime and disorder.
Other commenters tied budget priorities to the downtown engagement center discussion elsewhere on the agenda: providers said the center helps connect people to housing and health care and reduces emergency costs, while some business owners said the center’s location creates safety and sanitation problems that the city should address.
Staff response and timeline: Susan (staff) said the city is accepting public input and will revisit the final budget in two weeks before submission to the county. Staff said the preliminary budget remains under review and that public comments would be considered in the final proposal.
Ending: no vote on the budget occurred at the hearing; commissioners and staff will use public testimony as one input in preparing the final 2026 budget for approval.
