Washington County's top leaders given pay increases, but not County Board

Washington County's sheriff, chief attorney and top administrator will receive salary increases next year, but the five elected county commissioners have opted once again to take no pay raise for themselves.

The decisions came in a flurry of year-end County Board actions last week that included votes to approve a $91 million property tax levy for 2015 and about $154.2 million in operating expenses. Commissioners also approved levies and budgets for the Regional Rail Authority and Housing and Redevelopment Authority.

Commissioners haven't voted themselves a pay raise since 2009, but they unanimously approved 5 percent increases for Sheriff Bill Hutton and County Attorney Pete Orput and a 6 percent raise for Molly O'Rourke, the county administrator. All three were lauded as experienced leaders who manage high-profile initiatives and make themselves visible and approachable to residents.

In 2015, Hutton and Orput each will earn $149,720. Hutton's chief deputy, Dan Starry, will receive $134,748, which is 90 percent of the sheriff's salary, as will Orput's first assistant attorney, Brent Wartner. The law also requires a vote to determine the salary of Orput's executive assistant, Cathy Rochel. She will earn $57,308.

O'Rourke will earn $164,288, a 6 percent increase over 2014.

Hutton was an Oakdale police captain when he was elected sheriff in 2006. He was re-elected in 2010 and again in November.

"He's top shelf. The communities I deal with in my district, they have nothing but great regard for our sheriff," said Commissioner Gary Kriesel, who mentioned Hutton's 30 years of experience in law enforcement. "He's highly respected not only by his peers but by the citizens."

Orput was a homicide prosecutor in Hennepin County when he was elected Washington County Attorney in 2010. He was elected to a second term in November.

"He's stellar, tops on crime, true public servant, tireless advocate," said Commissioner Lisa Weik. "He is everywhere. If you're on the wrong side of the law, you don't want to be in this county."

O'Rourke had been Washington County's deputy administrator until she took over the top job in January 2012 after Jim Schug retired.

"I think we have the top talent in Minnesota with Molly here. I really would like to retain her," Weik said.

Making Washington County salaries competitive has been a County Board goal because so many employees left in recent years for similar jobs that paid more in other metro counties.

In September, many of the county's 1,100 employees — represented by seven labor unions and four associations — received their first wage increase in four years. Those increases amounted to about $2.2 million and partly accounted for next year's 3.49 percent increase in the property tax levy.

Next year's gross Washington County levy is about $100 million, but $9.3 million of that will come from the state in county program aid. The net certified levy — money raised through property taxes — is $90.7 million, a 3.49 percent increase over 2014.

The 2015 budget also includes capital expenditures of $59 million and debt service of $11 million.

In addition, the Regional Rail Authority levy for 2015 is $638,100, a 3.49 percent increase over 2014.

The Washington County Housing and Redevelopment Authority levy for 2015 is $3.5 million, a 3.4 percent increase over 2014.

The county also plans to issue a bond in 2015 to raise $37.5 million to fund road projects, building improvements and technology.

The 2015 budget comes after years of funding reductions and two years of no property tax levy increases, a tax levy decrease in 2012, and a slight increase one year. The per capita levy, sixth lowest in Minnesota, has been flat since 2009.

Key initiatives for the 2015 budget include:

• Reducing the number of repeat offenders with a collaboration of the Sheriff's Office and Community Corrections and Community Services divisions;

• Maintaining technology infrastructure;

• Continuing investment in library collections to reduce wait times for books and faster processing of returned materials to shelves;

• Implementation of new groundwater community health improvement plans;

• Investing in road projects, Cottage Grove Ravine Regional Park renovations, and the Public Works North Shop project.

The estimated cost of the levy and a shifting in property valuations would mean that a homeowner of a median-valued home in Washington County — $232,600 and an assumed 13.5 percent increase in value — would see a $41 increase in the county portion of property taxes in 2015.

Kevin Giles • 651-925-5037