Longmont councilors discuss minimum-wage increase, agree to year of outreach before action

At a Longmont City Council pre-session on Oct. 15, councilors spent significant time discussing whether to pursue a local minimum-wage increase and how to prepare small businesses if the city moves forward next year. Councilors agreed not to adopt changes for January 2025 and emphasized outreach and a phased approach.

The meeting began when the Chair introduced the topic, saying it was important for councilors to "hear each other on council on what we think about it" and noting, "it's really too late... to do anything about it for January 2025." The Chair said councilors should use the coming year to consult businesses and Scott Cook to allow employers time to budget.

Council member 4 argued for raising the wage on social-justice grounds and urged a multi-year transition: "I strongly believe that we have to raise the minimum wage," the councilor said, while also proposing training and collective supports so smaller businesses can adapt rather than be squeezed by sudden cost increases.

Other councilors highlighted specific business concerns. One member recounted speaking with the owner of "Spice and Bikes," who said state electric-vehicle rebates can take months and add financial strain; the councilor said she collected the owner's contact information to coordinate when rebates roll out. The Chair raised reports that some small restaurants were considering relocating to neighboring towns, saying she’d heard they might "just go to Bradford for Firestone."

Councilors discussed tools to ease the transition: targeted training, apprenticeship and union-like collective supports, and exploring a possible "training wage" for certified positions. "We need to put progressive businesses together and find ways for businesses to support each other," one councilor said.

The group repeatedly emphasized process: no formal motion was made at the pre-session and no vote occurred. Instead, councilors reached informal consensus to delay any local change, continue outreach to the business community and relevant coalitions, and consider a multi-year implementation plan so employers can plan their budgets.

The Chair also framed equity as a central consideration, noting Longmont's large Latino population and emphasizing that a local minimum wage is meant to ensure "that nobody will fall below this level." Councilors said they will return to the subject next year after more business consultation and data work.