Council Changes Timeline For Las Cruces Minimum Wage Increases

City council has voted to give businesses more time to prepare for a minimum wage increase. An ordinance approved in September will eventually increase the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour.

Monday night, council approved a proposal by City Representative Nathan Small. It was originally rejected, then adopted after further discussion and a second vote.

The minimum wage in Las Cruces will still increase to $8.40 an hour January 2015, as approved by council in September.

However, the second minimum wage hike to $9.20 an hour will now go into effect January 2017 instead of January 2016.

The third minimum wage hike to $10.10 an hour will now go into effect January 2019 instead of January 2017.

Members of the community also had a say Monday night. At least two dozen people including business leaders and minimum wage advocates took the floor before council made a vote.

Initially, Councilor Small’s proposal was voted down. Shortly after, Councilor Ceil Levatino reconsidered her vote. It was brought up for discussion and by a 4-3 vote, it was adopted.

Before voting, Mayor Ken Miyagishima said he thought making any changes would “change the spirit of the ordinance.”

Members of the group Cafe, the advocacy group that started a campaign to raise the city’s minimum wage last year, were disappointed in Council’s decision.

“I think what happened in City Hall today was a gross representation of democracy. That they were basically throwing anything they could to the wall to see what stuck,” Sarah Nolan, Executive Director of Cafe, said.

The ordinance will be reviewed in 2016 and 2018.

City reps Nathan Small, Ceil Levatino, Greg Smith, and Miguel Silva voted in favor of the new timeline.

Voting against the Small’s proposal were City Representatives Olga Pedroza, Gill Sorg and Mayor Ken Miyagishima.