By Brett Boese

Post-Bulletin, Red Wing MN 

RED WING -- What started as a symbolic gesture of goodwill turned into a contentious moment at Monday's Red Wing City Council meeting.

Red Wing's council and mayor John Howe -- a non-voting member of the council -- had offered itself up to receive a pay cut of 5 percent about a month ago. However, it was then discovered that a Minnesota statute prevents the mayor's salary from being altered until Jan. 1, 2011.

That didn't stop council member Dean Hove from voicing his concerns about the salary discrepancies.

"I've always wondered why the mayor gets so much more than the council," Hove said during open session.

"I don't believe the mayor does anything more than I do as a council member," he said afterward.

Howe receives $10,000 a year, while council members receive $8,000. The 5 percent cut, which will be adopted this January for the council and in January 2011 for the mayor, will result in a $500 loss for Howe and $400 decrease in pay for Hove and the other six council members. The total savings to the city will be marginal.

Red Wing's mayor voiced no objection to Hove's plan to significantly cut the mayor's salary. The council did not vote on the proposal.

"Really, I'm not here for the pay," Howe said later. "They could take the salary to zero and I'd still do the job. It's about being involved in the community and putting the best foot forward."

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