On Thursday, Oct. 10, the Boulder City Council will hold a public hearing and vote on a proposed ordinance to establish a citywide minimum wage. In previous discussions, councilmembers have said they want to address the city’s high cost of living while balancing the impact on local businesses.
Most councilmembers support raising the city’s minimum wage above Colorado’s current rate of $14.42 an hour, but the exact figure has not yet been finalized.
In September, the council directed city officials to draft an ordinance raising the city’s minimum wage to $15.57 in 2025, with annual increases of 8% for two years, followed by adjustments tied to the consumer price index. However, Councilmember Lauren Folkerts, who has been working with other local governments on a broader minimum wage initiative, proposed a steeper increase of 15% in 2025, which would set the rate at approximately $16.58. Folkerts’ proposal aims to align Boulder’s minimum wage with Denver’s by 2027, potentially reaching nearly $20 per hour, assuming a 3% inflation rate.
“It should be an easy decision,” Folkerts wrote in a recent op-ed in the Daily Camera. “Denver’s cost of living is 15% lower than Boulder’s, and its 2024 minimum wage is 27% higher than ours.”
The move to establish a local minimum wage follows a 2019 Colorado law that allowed cities to set their own minimum wages, lifting previous statewide restrictions. Boulder has been coordinating with nearby municipalities — including Longmont, Lafayette, Louisville and Erie — to develop a regional approach to wage increases. However, Boulder is currently the only city moving forward with a formal ordinance, according to city officials. A second reading of the ordinance is scheduled for Nov. 7.
Should be $35/hr.
Let the bloated developer pay.
I recall reading in the Boulder media that a study was done that indicates a person needs to earn at least $20 per hour to live in a very modest situation in Boulder. So the proposed change is still too low. What is needed is Locality Pay across all sectors to account for the higher cost of living in Boulder. Two incomes at $20/hour would likely be more realistic. Also, as told to me by a man who applied for Boulder “low-income” housing, the formula is not realistic. His salary wasn’t enough to continue to live in Boulder and when they applied, he was told that in order to qualify, his wife would have to stop working. What’s this about. They were caught in some kind of inaccurate formula that put them in the middle. They and their kids had to move away from Boulder — another example of why Elementary enrollment is down too. Why can’t Boulder be accurate and realistic about solutions?