For the fourth year in a row, the Hennepin County Board has voted to freeze its salaries for the next year. However, in the same motion they gave themselves a 2.5 percent raise for 2014.
The vote was 5-1, with Commissioner Jeff Johnson opposing the resolution because he disagreed with the 2014 pay bump.
"Taxpayers pay us well and I think we work hard for our pay, but I'm not comfortable with the message that this would send," he said.
This year, members make $97,080.
State law requires that commissioners adopt any change in their salaries before the general election. Changes in board salaries usually copy those given to other county employees, but lag a year behind. The board's 2014 raise is the same as other employees' 2013 pay increase.
In recent years, commissioners also have refunded a portion of their pay as a way to support leave-without-pay programs that other county employees have taken part in.
