Las Cruces City Council reviews minimum wage ordinance

The Las Cruces City Council spent several hours reviewing their minimum wage ordinance which was adopted back in 2014.

Monday’s review and discussion by council members was strictly for an informational purpose, to review the effects of the ordinance on the city.

The ordinance plans to increase minimum wage every two years. In January of 2015, minimum wage was increased to $8.40 an hour. In January of 2017, minimum wage is set to increase to $9.20 an hour. Then it will rise again, in January of 2019, to $10.10 an hour.

The city’s economic development coordinator said the increase in minimum wage does not appear to have a negative impact on the Las Cruces community. Data compared from 2014 to 2015 reveal that the Gross Receipts Tax increased by 8 percent along with the Restaurant GRT.

A majority of the community members applauded the city for the increase. One resident said, “I have seen an increase in my checks and an increase in the checks of people I work with. I have also seen stress alleviate off the shoulders of my co-workers.”

Other residents disagreed with the city’s ordinance, one of them called it “a floodgate about to open and you are going to see a lot of negative small businesses affected.”