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Murray County board elects Mark Carlson chair, names Roger Zins vice-chair and sets minimum 2027 elected-official salaries
Summary
At its Jan. 6 organizational meeting the Murray County Board elected Commissioner Mark Carlson as 2026 chair and Commissioner Roger Zins as vice-chair, approved committee assignments and set minimum salaries of $5,000 for several county elected offices for terms beginning in 2027.
Mark Carlson was elected chair of the Murray County Board of Commissioners at the board’s Jan. 6 organizational meeting in Slayton, receiving four votes to Dennis Welgraven’s one after a call for nominations by County Auditor/Treasurer Heidi Winter, who presided as temporary chair. Carlson then nominated Commissioner Roger Zins for vice-chair; the board approved Zins by unanimous ballot.
The organizational session also settled commissioner committee assignments and citizen appointments. The board approved placing all five commissioners, the Auditor/Treasurer and the Deputy Administrator on the Budget Committee, and appointed Carlson and Zins to the Canvas Board for 2026 to avoid ballot conflicts. Multiple citizen appointments were confirmed to advisory bodies including the Extension Committee, Fairgrounds Advisory Committee, Planning Commission and Shetek Area Water and Sewer Commission.
The board passed Resolution No. 2026-01-06-04 setting minimum salaries for offices to be elected in 2027. The resolution sets the minimum salary at $5,000 for the Murray County Auditor/Treasurer, Recorder, Sheriff and Attorney. County Attorney Travis Smith clarified that "there is no statutory requirement for these positions, except for County Attorney," and noted the statutory minimum for County Attorney related to county population is $4,000.
Why it matters: Organizational votes and committee placements determine who will steer budget and policy priorities through 2026 and who will serve on bodies that advise or decide on planning, public works and other county services. Setting minimum salaries is a statutory step that frames candidate filing and future compensation decisions for county offices.
The board recorded no conflicts of interest during the organizational meeting and adjourned following routine committee reports. The next procedural step for the board’s leadership is to operate with the assignments and appointments approved at the Jan. 6 meeting.
