On Tuesday night, the Antioch City Council will discuss the idea of creating an ordinance to create a minimum wage in the City that would be higher than the Federal and State minimum wages.
While no dollar figure amounts were given in the Staff Report, it did reference the City of Richmond who recently increased their minimum wage to $12.32 by the year 2017 (Source http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/index.aspx?nid=2856 ). Richmond was the first city in Contra Costa County who has a minimum wage higher than State and Federal minimum wage laws.
The staff report highlights how an increased minimum wage higher than Brentwood, Oakley and Pittsburg would put Antioch at a competitive disadvantage with competing businesses. Business options include absorbing the costs, cutting other employee benefits, reducing the workforce, moving the business or raising prices, if the market allows.
According to the staff report, an increase in minimum wage would also have a direct impact on the City’s workforce cost. Antioch’s Recreation Department employs part time and temporary minimum wage workers and so the cost of those positions would go up, although no formal analysis has been performed at this time.
City staff are asking the council to consider the following questions:
- Why?
- Why would a City want to pass a minimum wage when the Federal and State governments already have a minimum wage that includes Antioch?
- What are the local impacts on local minimum wage?
Staff Conclusion:
Staff recommends against the Council considering a local minimum wage for the City of Antioch for the following reasons: A minimum wage higher than our neighboring cities puts Antioch at a competitive disadvantage for business attraction, business retention and job creation. A minimum wage higher than the State of California increases the City’s labor costs and could, thereby, delay the elimination of Friday furloughs for many City workers or increase the projected structural deficit. Antioch is not a high cost living city and is relatively affordable relative to the Bay Area in general, so there is not a compelling reason why Antioch should have a higher minimum wage than other Bay Area cities. Finally, since California has a higher minimum wage than the Federal minimum wage, staff recommends that we either leave this issue to the State or, if anyone thinking the minimum wage should be higher, elected officials at the State level should be encouraged to champion that issue.
For the full Staff Report: Item 5 (page 121) of the City Council Meeting
http://www.ci.antioch.ca.us/CityGov/agendas/CityCouncil/2014/agendas/081214/081214.pdf
If you go
Antioch City Council
Council Chambers, 200 H Street
Antioch, CA
Meeting begins at 7:00 pm w/closed session started at 6:00 pm
14 comments
I know this is only up for discussion at this point, but the audacity its even up for discussion highlights how this is the worst Antioch City Council maybe in the history of Antioch. This is the least business friendly council I’ve ever seen! Tax, Tax, Tax, and how can we make it tougher on business next week!
Agree with Mr. Simmons 100%. This is a no no no. If SF and Berkeley, or Richmond want to do it fine but that is their decision . What else can make this council look bad? Replacing Gary Agopian before the election. Let it go to the voters.
This council is becoming more of a joke each meeting. Are you kidding me? Feral cats and now people who are unskilled can get a raise? Unreal!
JUST WAIT TILL THEY DEMOLISH THOSE TWO OTHER PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECTS IN SAN FRANCISCO.. POTERO HILL & DOUBLE ROCK, THEY REBUILDING THEM FOR ONLY MIX-INCOME PEOPLE.. WHERE ARE ALL THOSE LOW INCOME PEOPLE GOING TO GO?? THEY GOT TO GO SOMEWHERE.. GUESS WHAT THEY ALL COMING HERE TO GOOD OLE ANTIOCH..
YALL HAVEN’T SEEN NOTHING YET….
Slow down, folks. This was proposed by an Antioch resident, Mark Jordan, some months ago during public comments. No one else from the public has pushed it. Besides, it is very questionable as to whether a General Law City like Antioch can establish its own “minimum wage”. The other cities referred are all Charter Cities which have greater powers to do things like this.
Arne, how come the Staff Report did not say that?
Mike, because our “staff” probably doesn’t know it or think it is important. We write some of the poorest staff reports in this city! Incomplete.
Arne,
On one hand I am happy the council will discuss an issue brought up by a resident, but on the other hand, of all the suggestions brought up by residents they decide to take this one to the public? Are you kidding me????
Mr. Harper should not have approved the agenda with this item.
Why is messing with a wage law already in place even on the table for a small city like Antioch? Any good worker already makes more than minimum wage. There must be more important things to deal with in the crime ridden city.
Sadly, the mayor, Mary Rocha and Monica Wilson are not up for re-election. So expect more of the same logic-defying decision making for at least another couple of years.
How about the Landlord Responsibility Act that all other cites of our size have in place!!!! We have had the Police out to the house next door at least 10 times in the past 6 months. When we e-mail or call the landlord, they just say do bother us call the APD. This need to be in place before we receive hundreds more HUD rentals.
Dale,
The city needs to address what you are talking about before reacting on existing laws. Landlord laws would serve much better. Do it sooner than later or THUG LIFE will have every section 8 cousin from the projects moving to Antioch. The cancer grows.
Start with the Residential Landlord Business Fee which is on the November ballot. A fee of $250 landlords will have to pay yearly to support police and other services the tenants use. Before this landlords have never had to pay a business license fee. They have had a free ride since the 1960’s.
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