Griggs Commissioners Ousted in Recall

COOPERSTOWN, N.D. (AP) — Residents of Griggs County have kicked all five county commissioners out of office.

The five county leaders were ousted in a recall election Tuesday prompted by a dispute over a new courthouse.

Commissioners voted last spring to proceed with building a $3.5 million courthouse and emergency operations center, despite voters rejecting the idea three times in separate elections in fewer than two years. Commissioners said the courthouse built in 1884 has serious health and structural issues — including mold — and that fixing the problems would be too costly.

The move prompted a petition drive that led to the recall vote.

The courthouse is the oldest active county courthouse in North Dakota and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Construction continues on its replacement.