Wabasha County Attorney Pay Cut Trial

A move to cut the salary of the county attorney in Wabasha County may violate state law and the court trial got underway last week.

Last November, County commissioners voted 3-2 to cut the salary of County Attorney Matt Stinson by $20,000.

The commissioners who supported the cut criticized Stinson's handling of criminal cases and lack of response to questions from county department heads. 

Stinson was elected in 2022 to a 4 year term.

State law prohibits lowering a county attorney's salary during their term in office, giving Stinson grounds to appeal the commissioners' vote.

The commissioners voted in January to adjust the reduction to $11,000, which brought Stinson’s annual pay to $119,000, which the county says is in line with Stinson’s term guidelines.

Closing arguments in court are set for mid-July.