Farmington Lawmaker Targets Minneapolis City Council Salaries In New Bill

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A Minnesota lawmaker from Farmington thinks Minneapolis City Council members are paid too much.

Republican Rep. Pat Garofalo says council members in the state's largest city make more than $100,000 per year. That's compared to nearly $70,000 in St. Paul; $40,000 in Rochester; and about $14,000 in Duluth.

Garofalo introduced a bill that would prohibit city council salaries from exceeding the state's median household income, which is about $71,000. Garofalo says state governments have capped city salaries before, and the issue is not only pay, but performance.

"Right now, regardless of your political perspective, it's pretty difficult to justify based on this city council performance that they deserve $10 an hour, let alone $100,000 a year," Garofalo said.

A spokesperson for the City of Minneapolis said in statement Tuesday evening that the city "supports efforts to maintain or enhance local governance, and opposes efforts by the legislature to interfere in local government decision making authority."