Item Description:
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Countywide elected compensation - offered by Commissioner Edelson
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WHEREAS, Minnesota Statute 383B.455 provides that "in the county of Hennepin the county attorney… and sheriff shall receive as compensation… annual salaries as shall be determined by the Board of County Commissioners of Hennepin County”; and
WHEREAS, the Hennepin County Attorney and Sheriff are the chief policymakers and executive leaders for their respective departments; and
WHEREAS, Countywide elected salaries were flat (no increases) in 2022, 2023 and 2024; and
WHEREAS, during those years the County workforce received salary increases that averaged 5.5% to 6.0% per annum; and
WHEREAS, the County Board has not adjusted the salaries of the County Attorney and Sheriff since 2019, when the County Board approved salaries for 2019, 2020, and 2021; and
WHEREAS, in 2015, Resolution 15-0067, the County Board approved a compensation difference between the elected positions of Sheriff and County Attorney; and
WHEREAS, the compensation difference between the Sheriff and the County Attorney is still in effect; and
WHEREAS, the Hennepin County Sheriff is the 2nd lowest paid Sheriff in the Twin Cities Metro Area (Metro) and the Hennepin County Attorney is the lowest paid County Attorney in the Metro, despite serving the largest population; and
WHEREAS, the County Board seeks to make adjustments to the salaries of the countywide elected officials, consistent with the County Board’s statutory authority removing compensation differences between the elected positions of Sheriff and County Attorney and to keep pay competitive and equitable; and
WHEREAS, setting the salaries for the Sheriff and County Attorney at $224,820 annually, will keep elected official compensation in line with other elected county officials.
Resolution:
BE IT RESOLVED, that effective January 1, 2025, the salary for the Hennepin County Sheriff and the Hennepin County Attorney be adjusted to $224,820 annually; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that effective January 1, 2026, the salary for the Hennepin County Sheriff and for the Hennepin County Attorney be adjusted by 3% to $231,564; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Hennepin County Sheriff and the Hennepin County Attorney file notice with the County Administrator requesting the specified salary adjustment no later than Wednesday, December 4, 2024 for the January 1, 2025 adjustment; and that should a notice not be filed by the elected official, their salary will remain at their current salary level for the succeeding year; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Hennepin County Sheriff and the Hennepin County Attorney file notice with the County Administrator requesting the specified salary adjustment no later than Wednesday, December 3, 2025 for the January 1, 2026 adjustment; and that should a notice not be filed by the elected official, their salary will remain at their current salary level for the succeeding year.
Recommendation from County Administrator: No Recommendation