Dayton Approves Huge Raises for Government Employees On His Way Out the Door

Gov. Mark Dayton has approved large pay increases for 22 government officials, including 7 employees of the Metropolitan Council, who already make well over $100,000 per year.

This is why people have little faith that their government is working for them, and not the other way around.

According to a CBS news report, Minnesota law says local governments cannot pay employees more than 110 percent of a governor’s salary, which is $127,000.

But they can apply for a waiver.

The state does give permission, but not often: out of hundreds of requests, it has agreed to only 77 times in the last 21 years: in 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, and not again until 2017.

This means governor Dayton’s lame duck raises account for about 28.5 percent of all the waivers granted since Bill Clinton was in the White House. This is what cronyism at its worst looks like.

CBS also provided a table of the raises:

  • City of Rochester; city administrator; 176,822; 194,750; 10.1 percent
  • City of Rochester; general manager: Rochester Power; 176,822; 189,625; 7.2 percent
  • Dakota County; county manager; 176,820; 198,794; 12.4 percent
  • Dakota County; deputy county manager; NA; 178,914
  • Hennepin County; chief financial officer; 171,338; 190,000; 10.9 percent
  • Hennepin County, chief human resources officer; 171,338; 190,000; 10.9 percent
  • Hennepin County; chief information officer; 171,338; 190,000; 10.9 percent
  • Hennepin County; county administrator; 220,471; 250,100; 13.4 percent
  • Hennepin County; assistant county administrator; 176,821; 217,300; 22.9 percent
  • Hennepin County; director, human services; 171,338; 190,000; 10.9 percent
  • Hennepin County; director, public health; 171,338; 190,000; 10.9 percent
  • Metropolitan Council; chief financial officer; 171,330; 190,000; 10.9 percent
  • Metropolitan Council; chief information officer; 171,330; 190,000; 10.9 percent
  • Metropolitan Council; deputy general manager; 171,330; 230,625; 34.6 percent
  • Metropolitan Council; general manager: metro transit; 208,712; 297,250; 42.4 percent
  • Metropolitan Council; general manager: env services; 171,330; 235,750; 37.6 percent
  • Metropolitan Council; regional administrator; 171,330; 246,000; 43.6 percent
  • Metropolitan Council; general counsel; 171,330; 190,000; 10.9 percent
  • Ramsey County; county manager; 171,338; 220,375; 28.6 percent
  • Ramsey County; deputy county manager; 171,338; 195,775; 14.3 percent
  • Scott County; county administrator; 171,338; 178,242; 4.0 percent
  • St. Louis County ; county administrator; 176,819; 188,600; 6.7 percent

Minnesota Management and Budget Commissioner Myron Frans had the gall to strongly defended the pay hikes, calling them carefully studied and below the national average.

What planet are these people living on?