Brooklyn Park Council Pushes Back Vote on Pay Increase for Mayor

The Brooklyn Park City Council tabled a proposal on Monday to more than double the mayor’s salary.

Currently, the mayor is paid $21,995 per year.

If approved, the proposal would more than double that annual pay to $50,000 per year.

That pay increase wouldn’t go into effect until next year, after the current mayor’s term expires and the November election.

“I didn’t bring this forward,” said Mayor Hollies Winston. “It was not necessarily a priority for myself, which is why I abstained from [voting on] it. For me, if it takes further consideration, that makes sense.”

Previously, the city’s charter commission recommended raising the mayor’s pay by five percent.

However, Council Member Christian Eriksen proposed a more substantial increase for the mayor’s office. 

“I think there’s a certain pressure on the mayor that council members don’t experience in terms of our schedule and expectations on our time,” he said in a previous meeting. “There’s definitely an opportunity cost to anyone who chooses to run for mayor that demands a kind of flexibility in their schedule that just certain occupations wouldn’t be amenable to.”

Along with the mayor’s pay increase, the city council would also get a three percent increase to its $12,578 annual pay.

Strong Opinions

The prospect of a significant pay increase for the mayor’s office has brought strong feelings from residents.

“I’m in support of increases — it’s tough work, it takes strategy,” said resident P.J. Hubbard. “I have concerns and want to see work done around kids, community, the economy and property taxes. And it’s not necessarily about the individuals sitting here in these seats. But moving forward, it’s a heavy lift.”

Resident Steve Marsolek called the more than doubling of the mayor’s pay “appalling” and “outlandish.”

Meanwhile, resident Bill Schweikert said he supports a raise for the mayor, but the proposed rate was too high.

“If you vote in favor of this, you’re actually giving in my opinion a vote of ‘no confidence’ to everybody that’s been a part of the charter commission,” he said.

Meet With Commission

The council ultimately voted 6-0 to table the discussion and meet with the charter commission to discuss the issue.

“To do it the way that we are considering this evening, [it] does show disrespect to the charter commission,” said Council Member Tony McGarvey. “After all, why are they there? They’re there to advise us. And we took that advice and we changed it without showing the respect of checking with them.”

Council Member Amanda Cheng Xiong concurred, saying a pay raise is warranted but they should consult with the commission to determine the increase. 

Brooklyn Park