During its regular meeting Tuesday, the Longmont City Council is expected to hear a presentation from several speakers about the possibility of establishing a regional minimum wage.

Representatives on behalf of the Boulder County Consortium of Cities, the Boulder Area Labor Council and the Longmont Chamber of Commerce are scheduled to present to the council about the issue.

In 2019, the Colorado General Assembly passed House Bill 19-1210, which allows a local government such as Longmont to establish its own minimum wage.

However, before enacting its own minimum wage law, a local government must consult with surrounding jurisdictions and stakeholders, according to the legislation.

“If anybody’s going to do this and make it work — any municipality — it’s going to have to be in concert with other municipalities,” Councilman Tim Waters said Monday.

In addition to serving on the City Council, Waters is one of the city’s representatives on the Longmont Economic Development Partnership Board of Trustees.

“There’s no way this works without it being a regional approach,” Waters said.

Citing data from the Colorado Center on Law and Policy self sufficiency standard, advocates in Boulder County are calling for a $15.41 minimum wage in 2024 and to increase it by 12.9% annually until reaching $25 in 2028, according to council correspondence.

Colorado’s current minimum wage is $13.65.

“Because there’s a five-year ramp up, it’ll take some time before it even starts affecting businesses,” Geof Cahoon, Boulder Area Labor Council president, said Monday. “We’re talking about a longtime to plan for this.”

Tuesday’s council meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, 350 Kimbark St.

“The urgency is now,” Cahoon said. “We need to get this underway cause the situation is only getting worse up here with wages.”

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