St. Louis Park council approves first reading to raise mayor, council pay; ordinance effective 2026-01-01 if adopted

The St. Louis Park City Council on Oct. 6 approved the first reading of an ordinance that would raise the mayor’s annual salary from $20,842 to $23,500 and increase each council member’s annual salary from $14,413 to $18,000. The first reading passed on a 5–1 vote; the ordinance will take effect Jan. 1, 2026 if the council adopts the second reading following required procedures.

City Clerk Melissa Kennedy told the council the change is a one‑time adjustment to reset the base pay and that the ordinance preserves automatic post‑election adjustments. “The proposed annual salary for the mayor is $23,500 and the proposed annual salary for council members is $18,000,” Kennedy said during her presentation. She said the changes were intended to reset the base amount and that automatic adjustments would continue after regular municipal elections.

Supporters said the increase is intended to reduce barriers to service for candidates who cannot afford the time commitment at current pay levels. Council members who backed the ordinance noted council duties and frequent community events can amount to the equivalent of many hours of unpaid work each week, and argued modest increases could broaden the pool of people able to serve. Opponents said the timing was problematic given the current local budget environment and recent commercial assessment changes that affect property tax pressure on residents.

Kennedy said the proposed increases would amount to roughly $25,000 in total added cost to the city budget — a small share of the city’s roughly $54 million operating budget — and that any increase cannot take effect until after the next regular municipal election, in accordance with state law and the city charter. The ordinance resets the base pay and continues the ordinance’s existing provision for future automatic adjustments after regular municipal elections.

The council completed the first reading Oct. 6 by voice vote on the motion; a second reading and final adoption will be required before the new rates become law and payable.

Councilmembers varied in their reasoning. Supporters emphasized equity and recruitment for public service; a dissenting member cited concerns about property tax and assessment impacts and said they would prefer to delay. The clerk said the ordinance was drafted to take effect on Jan. 1, 2026 to comply with the statutory restriction that salary increases cannot take effect until after the next municipal election.