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Local business owners warn higher local minimum wage could accelerate closures without complementary supports
Summary
Longmont restaurant, retail and childcare operators told city council at a fishbowl that rising operating costs, permitting delays and limited margins make a local wage hike risky unless paired with subsidies, permits reform or landlord/utility solutions.
Small-business owners and child-care providers at a City of Longmont fishbowl on Oct. 1, 2025, said many local firms already absorb rising costs for rent, utilities, insurance and labor and that a higher municipal minimum wage without additional supports could force closures, cut hours or push owners to restructure operations.
Sarah Morgan, owner of Martini’s Bistro, described a restaurant that already pays well above state minimum for many staff because the business forewent tip credits and operates a pooled-tip model: “My base level minimum wage employee is averaging $22 an hour already, and, he's 15,” Morgan said, noting her business’s bench of high-school workers who progress into higher-paid…
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