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West St. Paul council sets April 13 public hearing on charter update and pay increases for mayor, council
Summary
On March 9 the council approved first readings for a charter amendment and a separate ordinance adjusting mayor and councilmember salaries (3% in 2027, 2.5% in 2028) and set final readings/public hearings for April 13; City Attorney Pam Whitmore advised charter changes require unanimous approval.
The West St. Paul City Council approved first readings on March 9 for both a City Code amendment addressing mayor and councilmember salaries and a separate ordinance that would update the city charter.
Assistant City Manager Dan Nowicki presented the measures. The Charter Commission recommended a 3% increase in 2027 and a 2.5% increase in 2028 for elected officials; staff asked that the council approve the first reading and schedule the final reading and public hearing for April 13, 2026. The council voted 6 ayes and 0 nays to approve the first reading and set the date.
City Attorney Pam Whitmore advised that passage of the pay amendment on the city-code side requires a majority vote, while charter-side changes require unanimous approval and, if approved, go into effect after the next election. The proposed charter update also includes rewording section 1.02 for clarity and updating gender-neutral language across the document. Council approved a summary publication of the charter amendments to avoid publishing the entire charter, should the amendments pass.
The March 9 meeting recorded no public testimony on these first readings. Final decisions will occur at the April 13 public hearing when the council takes final readings and any public comment into account.
