On December 12, 2025, a new opinion from the North Dakota Attorney General was released regarding the Burleigh County Commission’s special meeting held on January 13, 2023.
The opinion, numbered 2025-O-24, concluded that the Burleigh County Commission did not meet certain legal requirements related to public meetings. Specifically, the commission failed to notify its official newspaper about the special meeting, which is required by North Dakota Century Code section 44-04-20. The opinion also stated that “the Commission did not keep adequate minutes of its January 13, 2023, special meeting in substantial compliance with N.D.C.C. § 44-04-21(2) because it failed to include the time the meeting was adjourned.”
However, the Attorney General found that “the Commission considered only topics that were included in the notice of its January 13, 2023, special meeting in substantial compliance with N.D.C.C. § 44-04-20(6).”
This opinion clarifies procedural requirements for local government bodies under state law and addresses issues around public notification and record keeping during special meetings.
