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Dayton, Republicans At Odds Over Cabinet Raises

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) -- Minnesota House Republicans and Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton are in a standoff over pay hikes to his Cabinet.

Republican leaders said Wednesday they will not accept the governor's invitation to a public forum to answer questions about the raises. And the governor's office Wednesday released salary information showing commissioners are underpaid, compared to local government officials.

Republicans, who invited Gov. Dayton to testify at a public hearing about the pay hikes, said they'll go ahead with it whether he attends or not.

"If there is a legitimate reason for this, show me," Rep. Sarah Anderson, (R) Plymouth, saud. She is chair of the House State Government Finance Committee. "Show me the reason for this. Show me the study that you used. Show me who else got the money.  Show me how you're going to pay for it."

But the Dayton administration continued to defend the pay hikes, releasing new data showing Minnesota state commissioners earn less than top local government managers.

Gov. Dayton's documents show Hennepin and Dakota County administrators make more than Minnesota's highest paid Commissioners, who earn $154,000.

Hennepin County's top administrator earns $194,750; Dakota County's administrator, $165,776. City managers in St. Louis Park, Edina, Woodbury and Eden Prairie all make more than top state commissioners.

So do Department directors in Minneapolis, Bloomington and Hennepin County.

Here's a partial list:
St. Louis Park Manager - $162,240
Edina Manager - $157,602
Woodbury Adminstrator - $157,227
Minneapolis Public Works - $156,997
Bloomington Public Works - $156,148
Hennepin County Transportation - $156,000
Eden Prairie Manager - $155,584

In Plymouth, the City manager makes $142,800, about the same ($144,991) as the Minnesota Commissioners of Administration, Agriculture, Civil Rights, Commerce and Labor.

Representative Anderson, who represents Plymouth, sees no contradiction.

"They have a city council that took a vote, and they are held accountable to the citizens they represent," she said. "The governor made this decision on his own and he is not up for election ever again."

Gov. Dayton Wednesday called the pay hike controversy a "distraction" from important issues at the Legislature.

And he told the Associated Press Republicans are fixating on the pay hikes as "revenge for getting re-elected over their candidate by 100,000 votes."

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