Local task force to make recommendation.
Polk County to Study Minimum Wage Hike
The board of supervisors in Polk County has
approved a task force that will look at whether the county should raise the
minimum wage. The task force is set to make its recommendation by the end of
August.
In April, some residents urged the board to raise the
minimum wage to $15 an hour, more than double its current level of $7.25.
Businesses, however, say such a boost would be too much for them to handle and
would either result in fewer jobs or fewer hours for their employees.
One supervisor expressed concern about the $15
figure.
“I think $7.25 is too low,” said Supervisor Bob
Brownell, according to the Des Moines Register. “But I
am very, very skeptical that $15 is the right number.”
Last year, Johnson County voted to increase its
minimum wage to $10.10 by 2017, and then increase it after that based on cost
of living. And in February, Gov. Terry Branstad said he might support an
increase to the state’s minimum wage, which drew opposition.
“Those that cannot afford to
pay more will be driven out of business, and when they close up shop, they’ll
take the jobs they were offering our community with them,” NFIB Iowa State
Director Kristin Failor said at the time.
