Members of the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners voted this week to give themselves a nearly 50% pay increase.
Upon final approval, commissioners would see their pay increase from a current salary of $122,225 to $182,141 in 2025, with another 3% increase in 2026.
The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners Admin/Budget Committee voted 4 – 2 to give themselves a 49% raise.
From a current salary of $122,225 to $182,141 in 2025.
And another 3% raise from that in 2026.They also voted to give Mary Moriarty a raise, as well as the sheriff. pic.twitter.com/KBbiWhNS44
— CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls) August 1, 2024
Commissioner Irene Fernando brought forward two resolutions at Tuesday’s meeting of the Administration, Operations and Budget Committee, one to increase pay for countywide officials (attorney and sheriff) and another to increase pay for commissioners.
Fernando said the proposed salaries are based on the pay range for assistant county administrators (ACA).
“I’m proposing countywide elected officials’ maximum salary to be the middle value of the ACA range—the middle value—and commissioner maximum salary at the lowest value of the ACA range,” she said.
“I’m the first of many things—board chair of color, Filipino-American elected in Minnesota, I’m often the youngest or the only woman and I am proudly a child of immigrants,” she continued. “I’ve stood in front of many rooms promising that while I am the first, I will work very hard to ensure I am not the last. Setting maximum salary levels that are rooted in data and incorporates lived realities for so many of us is an essential component to making sure that there are many, many more after me.”
Commissioner Kevin Anderson said he believes it’s important to look at the increases “in the context of our entire workforce.”
“The amount that is being proposed for our specific salaries are well outside of the range that we would offer to adjust for I think any other job classifications. When I got elected three and a half years ago, I knew what the compensation was. It was less than I was making in the private sector and my goal was public service. I feel like I am honestly fairly compensated for the work that I do,” he said.
He also objected to commissioners being placed in the same classification as assistant county administrators because “the jobs are different and very distinct.”
“I was elected eight weeks ago so I’m not going to pretend to know this job in the same way that you do, but I will say that it’s hard to look at a 50% increase when I come from the legislature and what we made. Also I know that we’re going to be doing negotiations with labor and I don’t know anybody that gets a 50% increase,” added Commissioner Heather Edelson.
The board voted 4-2 to advance the commissioner pay increase and unanimously approved the pay increase for county sheriff and attorney. Both still need to be approved in a final vote next week.
“At a time when Minnesotans continue to struggle with the high cost of groceries, gas, and other everyday necessities, it’s outrageous that the Democrats on the Hennepin County Board are voting to give themselves massive pay increases, including a massive pay raise for Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty,” Republican Minnesota House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth said in a statement. “Hennepin County Democrats should make clear where they stand, and work with Republicans to scale back these egregious and unnecessary pay raises for politicians already making generous six-figure salaries.”
Anthony Gockowski
Anthony Gockowski is Editor-in-Chief of Alpha News. He previously worked as an editor for The Minnesota Sun and Campus Reform, and wrote for the Daily Caller.
