Duluth council raises police chief’s salary amid lawsuit scrutiny
The Duluth City Council split 6-3 to lift Police Chief Mike Ceynowa’s pay to $207,489, even as whistleblower lawsuits kept scrutiny on the department.
The Duluth City Council voted 6-3 Monday to raise Police Chief Mike Ceynowa’s salary to $207,489, a jump of more than $46,000 from the base pay in his 2022 contract. The decision came while City Hall was still under pressure from whistleblower lawsuits that have put police leadership and city handling of internal complaints under a sharper public spotlight.
Ceynowa’s pay increase marks a more than 10% raise from the salary he was earning before the council action. Public payroll records show he earned $186,586 in 2025, and a separate report put his salary at $187,901 as of February 2026 before the council vote. His current contract was approved in 2022 with a base salary of $161,052, before he was named chief by Mayor Emily Larson later that year.
The city’s own timeline shows how quickly Ceynowa moved into the role. Duluth announced on Sept. 12, 2022 that a community meet-and-greet was planned for Sept. 15, with the selection set to go before the council on Sept. 26. The city later said his swearing-in ceremony was held Oct. 7, 2022. Duluth’s police department describes its mission as community policing, partnership-building and crime prevention, a reminder that chief pay is tied not just to an individual employee but to the city’s broader public safety strategy.
That strategy was weighed against active litigation. One lawsuit, filed by former Duluth police lieutenant David Drozdowski, alleges retaliation after he raised concerns about wrongdoing. A second suit, filed by former employee Jessica McCarthy-Nickila, alleges retaliation and discrimination after she reported concerns about police conduct. The city and police have declined to comment on the pending cases.
The salary vote also lands amid Duluth’s own transparency requirements. Minnesota Statute 471.701 requires cities with more than 15,000 residents to disclose the positions and base salaries of their three highest-paid employees each year, putting chief compensation squarely in the public record. For residents watching budget priorities, the council’s decision now carries the question of whether the higher salary will buy measurable gains in leadership stability, recruitment, retention or police performance.
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