The Chamber continues to monitor and work closely on the minimum wage question. You may have seen recently that the Boulder City Council voted to increase the minimum wage for Boulder beginning 1/1/25. While we’ve now seen an increase in City of Boulder and Boulder County, our City Council has decided that more information is needed and that a decision to raise the minimum wage for next year will not be pursued. State law allows for local control of minimum wage but mandates that increases can only be implemented on the first of the year. This means that there will not be an increase for employers in the incorporated areas of Longmont in 2025. It’s important to note that businesses located in unincorporated areas around Longmont but in Boulder County will see a minimum wage increase requirement each year of 15% until 2030.
We agree with our City Council’s decision to not make any decision on this important question in haste. Earlier this year, the Chamber hosted focus groups with moderator, Sandi Seader, Assistant City Manager in which over 45 businesses owners /managers took part in. Many points of concern were raised in those meetings with many concerns centered around the current state of the economy and the significant rise in business operations costs. Since hosting the focus groups, I’ve had many conversations with businesses and from what I’ve heard, these concerns remain or have even grown since last spring. This is one reason the Longmont Chamber opposes the county’s increase because economic conditions can and probably will, change fast and we feel it is not wise to set a mandated increase each year until 2030.
Longmont has a strong entrepreneurial and small business scene. This is a big part of our local culture. I believe our City leadership understand this and has a desire to protect and promote this important part of our community. I believe also that they have understood the impact of a minimum wage increase on employers of all sizes and that quickly implementing a minimum wage would have many impacts, many unknown at this time without further study and information from the business community.
City Council has asked for the Chamber’s continued work in providing business feedback to them. We are planning to schedule community discussions in the first and second quarters of next year. Please let me know if you are interested to participate or have further questions about the status of the minimum wage work.
Scott Cook
CEO, Longmont Chamber
