M.L. Berg, Minot

Way back when, in February 1888, Minot’s first city attorney was fired by the mayor of Minot. The first city attorney was one Darius Preston. He had been practicing law in Bismarck before he moved to Burlington to be the first editor of the “Burlington Reporter” in 1886; his 17-year-old son Frederick assisted him in Burlington. But Darius moved to Minot in 1887 and was appointed the first city attorney by Mayor James Scofield on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 1887.

In a strikingly similar way to the recent firing of the city attorney, Scofield abruptly asked Preston to resign during a city council meeting. No reason was given for this action, but Preston did end up resigning, but under protest, a situation almost exactly mirrored in the events of this month. His resignation was accepted and it amounted to his having been fired.

No reason for it was given in the written minutes from that city council meeting (of Monday, Feb. 13), nor was there any mention of a reason for it to be found in any of the newspapers of the time.

Let’s hope that whatever explanation emerges for the recent firing will reflect well on the city council, or will result in changes to personnel practices that will enhance local official public accountability for decisions made in office.