Published in the Daily Camera (Boulder, Colorado) Open Forum on Tuesday, August 27, 2024
Our community needs an increase to the minimum wage
I am writing on behalf of the League of Women Voters of Boulder County (LWVBC). In the next few weeks, the City Councils of Boulder, Longmont, Lafayette, Louisville and Erie will be deciding whether to raise the minimum wage in their jurisdictions. We urge the City Councils to join Boulder County in raising the minimum wage to $25.00 per hour by Jan. 1, 2030. Boulder County workers, businesses and residents can all benefit from a regional approach.
We support efforts to advance a self-sufficiency wage, based on our organizational positions, and advocacy in the recent past. We believe that alleviating poverty is the shared responsibility of government, employers, individuals and non-profit assistance organizations.
Consideration about wage levels should include a focus on people struggling to afford to live here — notably low-income single heads of household, service workers and people of color who may disproportionately be earning insufficient wages. Any regional minimum wage agreement should take place at a pace that acknowledges the deep needs in our community.
It is time to take the first step in a series of incremental increases to close the gap between the current minimum wage of $14.42 and the current self-sustainable wage in Boulder County, which is over $22/hour. The longer we don’t act, the larger the gap becomes.
Let’s work together to find a workable solution that supports our workers as well as our small businesses. If you agree, please contact your City Council members. They need to hear from you!
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization, which encourages informed and active participation in government.
Holly Monkman
Advocacy Director
League of Women Voters of Boulder County