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The Freeborn County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved salary increases for the county attorney, the sheriff and themselves, as well as a 3% cost of living increase for union and nonunion employees.

County Attorney David Walker’s salary will be $138,000 in 2024, up from $131,000 in 2023, and Sheriff Ryan Shea’s salary will be $137,000, up from $113,000 in 2023. The commissioner salaries will increase from $23,795 to $27,000.

The board discussed the salaries at length in previous workshops, particularly looking at duties, responsibilities and performance, Freeborn County Administrator Ryan Rasmusson said.

County attorney’s salary

Second District Commissioner Dawn Kaasa made the motion to set Walker’s salary at $138,000 and was seconded by 5th District Commissioner Nicole Eckstrom.

The amount was the same as what Walker requested last month in a series of documents given to the board.

Eckstrom stated in addition to the duties, responsibilities and a memorandum provided by Walker to the board, they also looked at salary comparisons of the same positions in other similar counties.

She said she also considered the state’s increase in salaries for public defenders, noting the board needs to be aware of that if it wants to maintain a healthy prosecutors office.

She commended Walker during what was her first year on the board, stating he was responsive to questions, efficient and professional. She said it is important to have a good leader in the department.

Eckstrom said commissioners also looked at the budget and if the county can support the increase, and she said the county could do so in a responsible way.

She noted that for elected officials, including the county attorney and sheriff, the only way for them to get an increase in their salary is to come before the board, and it is the board’s duty and responsibility to review the information and act accordingly.

Sheriff’s salary

First District Commissioner Brad Edwin motioned to increase Shea’s salary to $137,000, and Eckstrom seconded.

Edwin said the board discussed the duties, experience and performance of Shea in the position in workshops. Shea had requested $150,000 and highlighted his work and successes in an 11-page statement he read at one of the workshops.

Eckstrom said she thinks the sheriff is doing a fantastic job and appreciated his professionalism, him going after grants and improving relationships with other staff and department heads.

She noted she thought, however, that the $150,000 request was very significant.

“I feel if we were to go all the way up to the $150,000 request, it almost becomes counterintuitive,” Eckstrom said. “It’s finding a balance, making sure you understand all the efforts you’ve put forward this first year that we — I believe it’s going to continue, and I look forward to watching you work and develop the department, the office — but I feel like if we jumped right into that 150 that it would be counterintuitive and that we would actually end up losing support from the community.”

Edwin commended Shea for the work he has been able to accomplish and said he feels like there is a change in the atmosphere in the department. He said both the board and the sheriff have realized some things they can work on in the coming year.

Edwin, Eckstrom and 3rd District Commissioner John Forman voted in favor of the $137,000 salary, while Kaasa and 4th District Commissioner Chris Shoff voted against.

Kaasa said she thought Shea deserved what he had asked for and noted she thought the $137,000 figure was a little low.

Shoff referenced a sheriff in Carlton County who had been there 15 to 20 years and earned $131,000.

The Sixth District sheriff’s average salary was shy of $140,000 in 2023.

Commissioner salaries

Regarding their own salaries as commissioners, Shoff said in the 1990s, the board approved a higher salary than other counties but did away with per diems, where they get paid for each meeting they attend.

Over the years that salary has had minimal changes to where it’s now at a point where it’s significantly behind other counties.

Finance Manager Pat Paquin said he had budgeted $32,000 for the commissioner salary as that is on the low end of what other commissioners receive. Counties that have per diems have $5,000 to $10,000 added on top of that.

Shoff motioned to increase the salary to $27,000, and Eckstrom seconded.

Eckstrom said there hadn’t been a raise in a number of years and when there was before that it was only a couple hundred dollars.

She noted the increase in committee meetings, noting some of her meetings are as far away as Rochester and Blue Earth, and the time she spends reading all of the materials provided to the commissioners and preparing for meetings.

She said while she didn’t run for election to make money — she ran to serve the community — she questioned what kind of people would be willing to run for office if the salary was never raised.

She also noted that she thinks the board does well in discussions with each other and department heads at meetings and thinks the board is setting a standard of integrity and transparency.

Edwin said he agreed with Eckstrom’s comments about what kind of people they want to be on the board and said they want people who are willing to do their research, ask questions and be mindful of taxpayers.

In the future, the board may have to be cautious about what they pay commissioners so it does not become a career for people, he said.

The increase ultimately passed 5-0.

The board also approved the 3% cost of living increase for other employees with minimal discussion.