After vetoing a proposal to raise the Montgomery County minimum wage to $15 per hour in January, County Executive Isiah Leggett has signed the measure into law.
Leggett vetoed the measure the first time, citing concerns about job loss and business burdens on a condensed timeline. The issue resurfaced this summer, however, and modifications were made. Under the legislation Leggett signed last month, companies with 51 or more employees will be subject to a $15 minimum wage starting in 2021. Businesses with 11 to 50 employees will have until 2023 to comply, and companies with 10 or fewer employees will have until 2024.
A study commissioned by Leggett found that Montgomery County would lose approximately 47,000 jobs and $396.5 million in income by 2022 if the $15 minimum wage hike were adopted. However, the study was discredited for overestimating the number of lost jobs, The Washington Post reported.