Boulder County Commissioners to reconsider minimum wage increase
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BOULDER, Colo. — Boulder County Commissioners advanced plans to reconsider a local minimum wage increase they adopted in 2023.
The county’s minimum wage is currently $16.57 and is scheduled to rise 8.6% each year until reaching $25 per hour in 2030. After 2030, the minimum wage will increase in relation to inflation.
The Boulder County minimum wage only applies to unincorporated parts of the county, like Niwot, Gold Hill and Hygiene. Municipalities like Longmont and Boulder have separate, lower minimum wages.
Farmers and small business owners in unincorporated parts of the county have vehemently opposed the increase.
“You can only raise prices so much before people say, ‘I can't support you anymore,’” said Alison Steele, owner of the Niwot Market, a family-run grocery store that employs 44 people. Steele has raised prices at the market to make up for the minimum wage hikes.
When county commissioners voted to increase the minimum wage in 2023, they hoped cities like Longmont and Louisville would join them. So far, only the City of Boulder has voted to increase its minimum wage, although it remains lower than the rate county commissioners adopted.
“It’s very apparent to me at least, that we are not going to get a Boulder County-wide minimum wage at the level that we adopted,” said Commissioner Claire Levy during a September 9 administrative meeting.
Levy said that she has spoken with City Council members and mayors in towns throughout the county.
“The other municipalities are not interested,” said Levy.
In response to opposition from business owners and farmers, Commissioner Levy proposed changing the county’s minimum wage to align with the City of Boulder. Minimum wage in Boulder is currently $15.57 per hour and is set to rise to $18.17 per hour in 2027, after which wages will increase based on the consumer price index.
Commissioner Ashley Stolzmann said she doesn’t think there is enough time before the end of the year to notify the public, conduct surveys and offer public hearings for any proposed change to the minimum wage.
Commissioner Marta Loachamin supported a public hearing to reconsider the issue, but she wants to give the public multiple options for what the wage should be.
The three county commissioners failed to agree on specific proposals they will put forth for public comment. They tentatively scheduled a public hearing for October 28 at 1 pm to discuss changes to the minimum wage. They plan to take testimony from the public during that meeting.
Any change to the county’s minimum wage policy would require a majority vote from the three commissioners.
Type of story: News
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Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. To read more about why you can trust the journalism of Rocky Mountain PBS, please visit our editorial standards and practices page.