Public Works self-performance lawsuit and assessment costs
City of West Fargo
Summary
The city built the 2025 mill and overlay with its own crews and equipment, charging no labor or equipment costs, cutting assessments to roughly $1,520 per unit. Contractors — AGC, Brad Schmidt and Steve Marco — sued, arguing such work must be competitively bid; the case is now before the North Dakota Supreme Court. The outcome could determine whether this cost-saving method can ever be used again.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 1
- Last 30 days
- 0
Last discussed Jun 23, 2026.
Impact analysis
Self-performance kept this mill and overlay's assessments far cheaper than comparable contractor-built overlay projects — potentially half the cost per property.
Residents north of 13th Avenue in the assessment district got a notably cheaper street repair bill.
Contractors who say the practice circumvents competitive bidding laws — and possibly future residents if the court bars the method.
Mentions & discussions (1)
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