Raising the Wage - Columbus Strengthens Commitment to Living-Wage Job Creation
Eligibilityfor City Job Incentives to Require a Minimum Wage of $15 per Hour
[COLUMBUS-OH] On Friday, December 7, 2018, Councilmember Elizabeth Brown hosted a press conference and public hearing to announce a change to city code creating a minimum $15 hourly wage requirement for all jobs created through the City’s job incentive programs.
“Supporting jobs that pay a living wage is one of the most direct ways we can promote broad-based economic prosperity in our City,” said Councilmember Brown.
The City of Columbus utilizes tax incentives to encourage job creation within the City among new and existing companies, and its use shapes the job opportunities available to residents. The codification of a $15 per hour minimum wage requirement raises the standard for the City’s job creation programs in order to better connect residents to jobs that pay a living wage that can support a family.
As laid out in the proposal, this minimum wage will be reassessed every three years to ensure the benefit to residents remains the same as the cost of living continues to rise.
“Not all jobs are created equal. When a job doesn’t pay a living wage, employees struggle to support their families, the opportunity gap widens, and many families must rely on public assistance to bridge the gap,” said Councilmember Brown. “It’s high time that we raise the wage for city job incentives and ensure we leverage tax dollars to drive living-wage jobs into our local economy.”
Councilmember Brown was joined by Reverend John Edgar who attested to the critical role a living wage plays in the health and stability of Columbus families.
“Columbus can—and should—be a City that is affordable for all people, and paying workers a living wage will go a long way toward making that a reality,” said Reverend John Edgar, Executive Director of Community Development for All People. “We are grateful to Councilmember Brown for her leadership on this issue and look forward to swift passage of this important legislation.”
Legislation for the code change will be voted upon on at the December 10, 2018, Council meeting.
###