Fargo Deputy Mayor 'Extremely Disappointed' Over Police Chief's Retirement Announcement

Denise Kolpack criticizes lack of transparency in how news was communicated to city officials and the public.

Mar. 12, 2026 at 12:14am

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Fargo Deputy Mayor Denise Kolpack, who is running for mayor, expressed strong criticism over how the city administration handled the announcement of Police Chief David Zibolski's retirement. Kolpack said the news should have been communicated to the full City Commission and the public through a press release as soon as the chief shared the news with officers, rather than being delayed until the next morning.

Why it matters

Kolpack's comments highlight ongoing tensions between city leadership and the public over transparency and communication, which can erode public trust in local government. The handling of major personnel changes like a police chief's retirement is seen as a test of the administration's commitment to openness.

The details

According to Kolpack, City Administrator Michael Redlinger, Mayor Tim Mahoney, and Zibolski were set to brief the media about the retirement announcement on Wednesday morning. However, Kolpack said the city should have communicated the news to the full City Commission on Tuesday afternoon and issued a press release that evening after Zibolski shared the news with officers. Redlinger said they were honoring the retiree's wishes to have some time to talk to shift commanders first, but Mahoney said he notified all commissioners Tuesday night and asked them to keep it embargoed until the official announcement.

  • Zibolski shared the news of his retirement with officers during the first shift briefing on Tuesday evening.
  • Mahoney notified all city commissioners about the retirement on Tuesday night, approximately five hours after he was notified, and asked them to keep it embargoed until the official announcement on Wednesday morning.

The players

Denise Kolpack

Fargo's Deputy Mayor who is also running to be the city's next mayor.

David Zibolski

The retiring Fargo Police Chief.

Michael Redlinger

Fargo City Administrator.

Tim Mahoney

Fargo Mayor.

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What they’re saying

“City Administration should have communicated this to the full City Commission yesterday afternoon and issued a press release as soon as the Chief shared the news with officers during the first shift briefing yesterday evening. Transparency matters. When communication breaks down at City Hall, it creates uncertainty — for our officers, for city employees and for the community we serve. Fargo deserves better than learning about major leadership changes through rumors and leaks. In the absence of clear leadership and communication, doubt and suspicion fill the void — and that helps no one.”

— Denise Kolpack, Fargo Deputy Mayor (am1100theflag.com)

“In this case, our retiree or soon to be retiree asked for just some time to talk to the shift commanders and talk to the shift briefings that were occurring that night. So, we had an embargo and an agreement that we would just hold until this morning and get that notice out to the rest of the organization is obviously the elected officials as well. But that information got out faster than that. But we obviously want to honor those wishes.”

— Michael Redlinger, Fargo City Administrator (am1100theflag.com)

“I notified all commissioners Tuesday night regarding the announcement – approximately five hours after I myself was notified and asked them to keep it embargoed until an official announcement came Wednesday morning.”

— Tim Mahoney, Fargo Mayor (am1100theflag.com)

What’s next

The city administration will need to address Kolpack's concerns about transparency and communication in order to maintain public trust ahead of the mayoral election.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the ongoing challenges local governments face in balancing the need for transparency with honoring the wishes of retiring officials. Effective communication during leadership transitions is crucial for maintaining public confidence in city administration.