Effective July 1, the Johnson County Board of Supervisors recommends the county’s minimum wage increase to $12.64 an hour, up 39 cents from last year.
The board’s decision to recommend a wage increase was made in March using Consumer Price Index data, which is based on inflation.
“Though the wage increase is symbolic in nature and unenforceable under state law, the supervisors approved the increase to remain in line with their vote in September 2015 to begin phased increases,” according to the board’s Monday statement.
In 2008, the state of Iowa increased the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour, one year before the federal government mandated it nation-wide. It has not been indexed for inflation since then, falling behind surrounding states such as Illinois, with a minimum wage of $14 an hour; Minnesota, with $10.85 for large employers, and $8.85 for smaller employers; Nebraska, with $12.00; and Missouri, with $12.30.
In September 2015, the board passed an ordinance establishing a minimum wage for Johnson County, increasing it in three steps – $8.20 an hour in 2015, $9.15 the following year and $10.10 in 2017.
As a result, Johnson County had a higher minimum wage than the state for 17 months, including three months when it was $10.10 per hour; however, on March 30, 2017, then-governor Terry Branstad signed legislation eliminating the ability of jurisdictions within the state of Iowa to set a minimum wage above the state minimum wage.
More information on the minimum wage ordinance is available at https://www.johnsoncountyiowa.gov/wage.
