Bismark, North Dakota City Commissioner Mark Splonskowski is resigning effective March 20, due to conflicts of interest when he assumes the Burleigh County auditor/treasurer position in April.

Sponkowski was elected to the county post in November.

The city commission will vote at the March 14 meeting on whether to have a special election to fill his seat or appoint someone to serve out the remainder of the term.

David Thiele became the Executive Director of the newly formed Ethics Commission at the beginning of the year and chaired the first meeting of the commission January 22.

Thiele, a Bismarck resident and former judge advocate for the U.S. Army, said his background as an attorney and ethics counselor for the National Guard will help him establish ethics rules.

State law gives the commission nine months from its creation (April 2020) to take preliminary steps to create the new rules.

Thiele believes he can meet this goal, but noted the Commission will give members of the public a chance to comment and could ask for an extension, if necessary.

Thursday, February 23, is South Dakota’s crossover day, which is the final day for lawmakers to pass bills out of their chamber of origin.

Ahead of the deadline, lawmakers are set to consider campaign finance and ethics bills that were proposed in the wake of the repeal of Initiated Measure 22.

A bill to create a state government accountability board is scheduled to be heard by the House on Wednesday, February 22, and another bill to increase the revolving door restriction to three years was scheduled to be heard by the House on Tuesday, February 21.