Minnesota's top government executives could see pay hikes under bills moving at the State Capitol.
Minnesota's governor, other top state officers could see two pay raises
Gov. Tim Walz has said he would not take the higher pay.
April 21, 2023 at 4:23PM
A bipartisan Compensation Council recently recommended that the state's constitutional officers — the governor, attorney general, auditor, secretary of state and lieutenant governor — should all receive a 9% increase this year and a 7.5% hike in 2024.
It would be the first time the leaders have received raises since 2016. Minnesota's salaries for all of those positions currently lag behind the national average, with the governor's pay ranking 37th in the nation, according to data from the Council of State Governments.
However, DFL Gov. Tim Walz has said he does not plan to accept the higher sum, which would apply to future governors. The council suggested boosting the governor's salary, currently around $127,600, to nearly $150,00 by July 1, 2024.
"The Governor values public service and believes state officials should be paid fairly. Because the Governor appoints members of the council and would sign the bill, he would not take this salary increase," spokeswoman Claire Lancaster said in a statement.
The House and Senate have signed off on sweeping state government budget bills that contain different approaches to the potential pay boosts. The two chambers must align those bills in a conference committee and send the final measure to the governor's desk for his signature.
The five state leaders would see their salaries increased by the recommended amounts under the Senate version of the bill.
The House measure leaves the pay decision up to each of the constitutional officers, said bill sponsor Rep. Ginny Klevorn, DFL-Plymouth. The legislation devotes millions of dollars to the offices of the governor, state auditor, attorney general and secretary of state. Klevorn said officials would be able to determine whether to use a portion of those dollars to accept a raise.
But the bill would change that process in the future. Klevorn wants to alter the role of the Compensation Council so that it would not just recommend salaries, it would "prescribe" them.
"It takes [the decision] away from the electeds and puts it more in the hands of the compensation commission," Klevorn said, adding that the goal of the pay increases is "to make sure we can recruit and retain high-quality talent and have the type of government the people of Minnesota deserve."
The Minnesota Supreme Court chief justice and the governor appoint the 16-person Compensation Council, which offers salary recommendations in odd-numbered years. The group also recommends pay for Supreme Court justices, other judges, state agency leaders and the heads of some metropolitan agencies.
Last month they recommended raising the attorney general's pay from slightly more than $121,000 currently to $142,000 in July 2024. The auditor and secretary of state would both receive about $127,000 by next year, while the lieutenant governor would get roughly $97,000.
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