Ramsey County commissioners voted Tuesday to increase their own pay by 3% for 2026.
The seven-member County Board voted unanimously to set their annual pay for the coming year at $107,199 for commissioners and $112,559 for the board chair. The change takes effect Jan. 1.
Commissioners noted the pay increase is in line with what county employees will receive. They added that the county’s home-rule charter requires the board to vote on changes to their salaries six months before increases take effect.
There was a public hearing June 24 about the pay raises and only one resident, Greg Copeland of St. Paul, spoke in opposition to the increases. Copeland, who has run for office previously, noted commissioners’ pay was well above county residents’ median incomes and suggested they forgo the salary hike and use the money another way.
Ramsey County is Minnesota’s second most populous county and its county board is the second-highest paid. The county is home to about 542,000 residents and commissioners oversee more than 4,000 workers and an $835 million annual budget.
Hennepin County commissioners are the state’s highest paid, earning $128,336 this year. Last August, the Hennepin County Board abandoned plans to increase their pay by 49% after public outcry, and instead they voted to hike their salaries by 5% a year in 2025 and 2026.
Across the metro, pay for local leaders and public employees has risen competitively in recent years after being stagnant during the pandemic. Local officials say they need to boost salaries to attract and retain workers in a competitive job market.
Yet, local leaders also have begun warning of a budget reckoning because state and federal spending that local governments rely on is expected to decline.
