Gov. Dayton has announced big pay raises for his cabinet members. Some are as much as $35,000. The top salaries will be those of six commissioners who earn close to $155,000.

Dayton sent a detailed explanation to state lawmakers Monday explaining his ability to grant the pay hikes under a 2013 law passed by the Legislature, Democrat-controlled at the time. The law allows the governor to raise salaries up to 133 percent of the governor’s pay.

Dayton cited the need to keep salaries competitive to attract top talent. He said superintendents in large school districts make more than the state’s education commissioner.

The Republican-controlled House quickly responded. It wants to block the pay increases.

One effort would repeal the powers granted the governor under the 2013 law.

Another is contained in an amendment to an emergency funding bill for three agencies. The amendment would require cuts of $16,000, $6,000 and $18,000 to those agencies’ budgets to make up for the pay raises.

Many critics say the raises are too much, too fast. However, all of the increases are legal under the 2013 law.

While the argument that paying market rates attracts the best and the brightest has merit, one word that hasn’t been discussed is performance.

All pay increases should be based on how well leaders have done their jobs and how well the agency has performed against predetermined goals.

Instead, it is all about how those salaries haven’t kept pace.

The commissioners received smaller raises in 2013 and 2014. Previous to those bumps, no pay increases had been granted since 2000. Pay raises shouldn’t be tied to inflation rates. Performance should determine pay.

These unbudgeted pay raises for the commissioners should trigger budget reductions of equal value, resulting in a budget-neutral solution.

Salary increases in state government are always controversial. But there is no excuse for letting pay levels fall so far behind that $30,000 pay hikes in one year are required. If pay is tied to performance, an orderly method to keep pay rates competitive should be achieved.

Otherwise, the back-and-forth of passing and killing legislation to handle the matter cripples the ability to plan.

It is a mess that the 2013 law was expected to settle. Looks like this political football is being inflated again.

 

— St. Cloud Times, Feb. 12