Hennepin County Commissioners make dramatic cut to proposed pay hike

MINNEAPOLIS — Weeks after the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners proposed a 49% pay hike for its members , then walked it back , members have adopted a much lower raise.

On Tuesday, the board approved a 5% bump that goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2025, and another 5% increase in 2026. According to the board's resolution , those increases are in line with what the average county employee saw between 2019 and 2022.

The maximum salary for commissioners this year is $122,225. The raises will bring it to $128,336 in 2025 and $134,753 in 2026.

The board originally approved the 49% increase earlier this month in a 4-2 vote, which would've given commissioners a 2025 salary of $182,141.

Board Chairperson Irene Fernando says she originally proposed the raise based on a market analysis of U.S. county administrator salaries.

"We need generations of elected leaders across the state and country to view elected office as a viable career chapter for themselves and their families," Fernando said.

Commissioner Angela Conley later apologized to her constituents for her initial support of the raise.

"Running for Commissioner was not a lucrative deal for me. I came to the board and my pay increased by about $15k a year as I was already at the top of my range as an employee," Conley said. "For me, this work was never about the pay but about the service to the people of the 4th district."

For comparison, Gov. Tim Walz will make $127,629 this year, and both Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty and Sheriff Dewanna Witt are set to earn $218,272 next year.