City administrator Spencer to resign June 19; commission moves to appoint interim auditor

City administrator Spencer announced on the dais that he has submitted his resignation, effective June 19, and said the departure is subject to approval of his contract by the Fargo City Commission. "My resignation for June 19th, it is subject to approval of the contract by the Fargo City Commission," Spencer said, and added he plans to help ensure a smooth handoff.

Commissioners discussed options for covering the supervisory auditor role during the budget season and raised the name Rob Johnson as an internal candidate to serve on an interim basis. Commissioner Pierce moved to appoint Rob Johnson as an "internal auditor/assessor" on an interim basis and to bring a formal request for advancement and compensation to the next meeting; the motion was seconded and the roll call vote carried. The meeting record states only that the motion "carried"; no detailed roll-call tally was provided in the transcript.

Supporters of the interim appointment emphasized continuity for the critical budget timeline. Spencer said an interim appointment would allow a two-week handoff so the incoming person could "see how the office is run and kind of tee up the budget process." Commissioners and staff discussed that the interim role would focus on supervisory responsibilities rather than taking over all day-to-day audit work.

Votes at a glance: the commission carried a motion to proceed with an interim auditor appointment naming Rob Johnson (formal appointment to be presented at the next meeting). The commission also later approved routine reappointments to planning and zoning, a state bank blanket bond resolution, and a motion to pay the bills (see "Votes at a glance").

The commission did not record a detailed vote tally in the transcript. The next procedural step is the formal interim-appointment item to be presented at the commissioners' next meeting for advancement and any compensation changes.