A debate about whether Baltimore should institute a $15 minimum wage has been percolating this summer. On Thursday, an official vote was taken at City Hall, but the process is not over yet.
According to the Baltimore Business Journal, the City Council’s Labor Committee voted in favor of the increase. With the bill, the minimum wage would go over and above statewide increases, which were set to tap out at $10.10 in 2018. It wouldn’t take affect until 2022.
Not everyone will have to implement the higher wage, however. Under an amendment, small businesses that make less than $500,000 or have fewer than 25 employees are now exempt from the requirements.
Still, not all business groups are onboard. The Greater Baltimore Committee is opposing the measure. A statement from the group said that the city would “become an island surrounded by nearby counties where the minimum wage is currently pegged by state law at $8.75 per hour” if the legislation goes through.
