Hennepin commissioners ditch proposal to give themselves a 49% raise

Public outrage forced Hennepin County commissioners to abandon the 49% pay raises they backed for themselves just a week ago.

Facing angry residents and employees, the County Board quickly voted 6-0 Tuesday to pull the raises from the regular meeting agenda. Board Chair Irene Fernando said it was “very clear” her pay proposal faced “strong opposition” from residents, employees and other local leaders.

The issue may be dead, with Fernando saying she would not offer an alternative plan but other commissioners could. Last week, the County Board voted 4-2 to advance Fernando’s plan to increase commissioners’ salaries by 49% from $122,225 to $182,141 in 2025.

The County Board also pulled a proposal to set salaries for the two countywide elected officials at $218,272, up from the current pay of $185,775 for the sheriff and $195,065 for the county attorney. That move previously advanced with a 6-0 vote.

The decision to abandon the big increases pleased Deborah Konechne, who rallied outside the County Board meeting with members of the union representing human services workers. Konechne said county representatives offered workers a 1% raise for next year during a bargaining session Tuesday.

“It just felt obnoxious to me,” Konechne said of the difference between the proposed raises for commissioners compared to what county workers were offered.

County employees were not the only ones upset by the proposed increases.

Residents and fellow elected leaders flooded social media and commissioners’ inboxes with their opposition soon after the proposed raises became public a week ago. Many noted the size of the increases as well as how the commissioners would out-earn the governor and other top state elected leaders.

Randy Johnson, who served on the county board 38 years before retiring in 2017, said there were tight budget years when commissioners didn’t take a pay increase to set an example when negotiating union contracts with county employees.

He characterized the pay increases as a “brazen grab for more money” and said voters would remember the proposal. “Those who voted for it are going to be tagged as 49ers for the rest of their short political careers,” he said.

Residents Alicia Gibson and Julie Wicklund attended the board meeting Tuesday to show their opposition to the size of the pay increase.

“This is not in line with how we should be spending our money,” said Gibson, an Edina resident. “To pay people at the top more does not represent our values.”

Both said that residents across the county are struggling with rising costs, including increased tax bills. They noted that many union workers were fighting for pay raises that were less than inflation.

“To say they need more when we have workers striking for 3%, it’s ludicrous,” said Wicklund, of Minneapolis.

Fernando, who has a background in human resources, presented her colleagues with an analysis July 30 that she felt made the case for raising commissioners’ pay to the low end of what assistant county administrators earn. It detailed how the board’s pay had been stagnant for several stretches in recent years.

Fernando’s analysis noted Hennepin County is the state’s largest county and commissioners are one of just two full-time boards in the state. Their responsibilities include serving nearly 1.3 million residents, managing a $2.7 billion budget and overseeing 10,000 employees.

Fernando also said pay for the position has an impact on the candidates who run for the elected post. She said in order to improve the diversity of candidates, “generational wealth or additional income [should not be] a prerequisite to serving as a Hennepin elected official.”

Commissioners who initially supported the pay proposal agreed, with Debbie Goettel saying it was important the board “set a legacy for the people who will come after us, so we will get good governance.” Commissioners Angela Conley and Marion Greene also supported the initial proposal.

Commissioners Kevin Anderson and Heather Edelson voted against it, and Jeffrey Lunde, who was absent, said he was also opposed. Anderson, Edelson, Lunde and Goettel are all up for re-election in November.

With a salary of $122,225 a year, Hennepin commissioners are the highest-paid county board in the state.

Ramsey County, which has fewer than half as many residents, is closest in terms of pay, and the board just approved a raise to $104,077 for commissioners and $109,338 for the chair.

By comparison, the governor’s salary is set at $149,550, but Gov. Tim Walz takes a smaller one, and state commissioners’ pay tops out at $187,314. Members of Congress earn $174,000 a year.

Minnesota state representatives and senators earn $51,750 a year after a 2023 pay raise. The Legislature is in session for less than half the year.

In 2022, Hennepin County had a median income of $48,681 for individuals and $92,595 for households, according to the U.S. Census.