Apple Valley City Council Votes to Raise Its Own Pay, But Splits It Over Two Years
TLDR
- The Apple Valley City Council voted 3-2 on Sept. 24 to raise its pay in two steps.
- Mayor pay goes to $1,693/month in 2027 and $2,000/month in 2028.
- Council pay goes to $1,246/month in 2027 and $1,500/month in 2028.
- An all-at-once raise failed 3-2 right before.
Apple Valley's elected leaders are getting a raise. At the Sept. 24 meeting, the Apple Valley City Council voted 3-2 to boost its own pay. But it'll happen in two steps, not one. Here's how it played out.
Why This Is on the Agenda Now
Under Minnesota law, the council sets its own pay. It has to do it by passing an ordinance (a city law). And any change can't kick in until after the next city election.
That's why the timing matters. Apple Valley votes in November. So a raise passed now can start in January 2027. The council talked about it at a Sept. 10 informal meeting. The city posted the ordinance online Sept. 11.
What They Make Now vs. Later
Right now, the mayor gets about $16,632 a year. That's around $1,386 a month. Council members get $992 a month, or about $11,900 a year.
Here's the new plan:
| Now | Jan. 2027 | Jan. 2028 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mayor (monthly) | ~$1,386 | $1,693 | $2,000 |
| Council member (monthly) | $992 | $1,246 | $1,500 |
By 2028, that's $24,000 a year for the mayor and $18,000 for each council member. That's a jump of about 44% for the mayor and 51% for council members.
Grendahl's Case: "Come Out of the Dark Ages"
Council Member Ruth Grendahl brought the idea forward. She first based the numbers on Burnsville, which she said pays its mayor $24,000 and council members $18,000.
Then she compared Apple Valley to three metro cities with 50,000 to 59,000 people. Here are her numbers:
- Edina: mayor $18,219, council $14,495
- Minnetonka: mayor $25,262, council $19,350
- St. Louis Park: mayor $23,500, council $18,000
She said this isn't about her colleagues or the money. It's about who can afford to run. Citing an AI search she ran that day, she said low pay shuts out working-class people. That leaves mostly retirees, people with other income and wealthy folks. She added that just paying a sitter to attend meetings could eat up a member's monthly check.
"The city council has to come out of the dark ages," she said.
She estimated members take home around $600 a month after taxes. She also said she's used at least 40 hours of vacation from her job for council and National League of Cities work. And she said the whole raise costs about $35,000 a year. That would come from a council contingency fund (money set aside for surprises). "It is not going to raise taxes," she said.
The Pushback: Staff and Fairness
Not everyone loved the size of the jump.
Council Member Lisa Hiebert agreed low pay is a real barrier. But she worried about how it looks next to city staff raises. Two of Grendahl's comparison cities are among the highest-paying in the metro, she noted. She'd like future council raises to match staff cost-of-living raises.
Grendahl pushed back. She said at least 11 city staffers make over $165,000. A 3.5% raise for them is $5,000 to $7,000, she said, but for a council member it's only a few hundred dollars. "It's a total disconnect," she said.
Mayor Clint Hooppaw said pay across cities is "truly all over the place." He liked the idea of making the job easier to take on. But he worried about how a big jump would land with staff, since pay studies for city workers are still underway.
Council Member John Bergman said he first wanted to vote no. After thinking it over, he wanted to split it in half instead.
Council Member Tom Melander backed the full raise. He's not running again, so he won't see a dime of it. "I have no vested interest in this," he said. "Current level of compensation isn't nearly commensurate with the importance of the job."
How the Votes Went
First up: the full raise, starting in January 2027. It failed 3-2.
Then Bergman moved to split it over two years. Hiebert seconded it. That passed 3-2.
One member voted no on the split, saying, "I'm opposed because this wasn't about money." The city video shows an agenda graphic during the vote, so it doesn't show who said it. Earlier, Grendahl had said the push was about the council's culture, not the money.
The Bottom Line
Apple Valley council pay is going up, and by a lot. But it's phased in over two years. That gives the city time to finish its staff pay studies too.
This is the kind of work that happens at every meeting you see on our city council page. It's also a good reminder of what the job includes, from big fights like the data center debate to budget calls. Speaking of budgets, here's what's up with Dakota County's 2027 property taxes. Want to know who's on your ballot this fall? Five people filed for two council seats, per the Sun ThisWeek. For how Minnesota cities handle pay changes in general, the State Auditor has a quick guide.
