On December 5, 2025, the North Dakota Attorney General’s office issued an opinion regarding the Burleigh County Commission and its compliance with the state’s open meetings law. The opinion, labeled 2025-O-19, addressed concerns about whether certain conversations among commissioners violated legal requirements for public meetings.
According to the Attorney General’s office, the Burleigh County Commission did not violate North Dakota’s open meetings law. The decision was based on three main points: the conversations in question occurred before newly elected commissioners officially took office; they involved fewer than a quorum of sitting commissioners; and there was no evidence that these discussions were relayed among a quorum of the commission.
The official statement reads: “The Burleigh County Commission did not hold meetings in violation of North Dakota’s open meetings law, as the conversations occurred before the newly elected commissioners officially took office, involved less than a quorum of sitting commissioners, and were not relayed among a quorum of the Commission.”
