government
St. Paul city council member proposes making their positions full-time, with a salary increase
By Ryan Pattee at KSTP 5 Eyewitness News (ABC)
· June 25, 2026
· 2 min read
A city council member in St. Paul is proposing to ditch the part-time council structure and increase the council members’ salaries.
Council member Nelsie Yang wants part-time city council members to receive a 40% salary increase and have their positions made full-time.
A proposed charter a...
Key takeaway Council member Nelsie Yang wants part-time city council members to receive a 40% salary increase and have their positions made full-time.
Why this matters in The Minneapolis
The proposal to make St. Paul city council positions full-time with a significant salary increase has implications for the broader Twin Cities area. Minneapolis , with its similar urban challenges and slightly larger population, already has full-time council members with higher salaries. If St. Paul adopts a similar structure, it could lead to more competitive recruitment of council candidates and potentially more effective governance. The fact that St. Paul's wards have more residents than Minneapolis' wards, despite having fewer wards, suggests that council members in St. Paul may already be shouldering a heavier workload. A full-time council could allow members to devote more time to constituent services and policy development, potentially leading to better outcomes for residents. As the proposal moves forward, residents will be watching to see how the potential change could impact the city's budget and the overall quality of representation on the council.
About this story
Original reporting by KSTP 5 Eyewitness News (ABC) . The Minneapolis surfaces reporting from trusted publishers and adds local editorial context so readers can quickly understand what a story means for their community. We attribute every source, link to the original report, and follow a documented editorial standards policy. To understand how stories are selected and reviewed, read our about page .
For the complete original report, visit KSTP 5 Eyewitness News (ABC) . Have a tip or correction? Contact our newsroom .
Category: government ·
Published: June 25, 2026 ·
Source: KSTP 5 Eyewitness News (ABC) ·
Reading time: 2 min
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Frequently asked about this story
What is this story about? A city council member in St. Paul is proposing to ditch the part-time council structure and increase the council members’ salaries.
Council member Nelsie Yang wants part-time city council members to receive a 40% salary increase and have their positions made full-time.
A proposed charter a...
When was this published? This article was first published on June 25, 2026 by KSTP 5 Eyewitness News (ABC) and curated for The Minneapolis readers.
Who reported this story? This story was reported by Ryan Pattee at KSTP 5 Eyewitness News (ABC). To learn more about how The Minneapolis selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards .
Where can I find related coverage? See more government coverage from The Minneapolis, or browse our daily briefing and topic hubs .
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