Santa Fe committee advances living-wage ordinance after amendments, including raise to $20

Santa Fe — The Public Works and Utilities Committee voted Monday to advance a living-wage ordinance to the next round of council review after adopting two amendments and hearing more than a dozen public commenters and staff presentations.

The ordinance (Bill No. 2025-21) would amend Santa Fe City Code (SFCC) 19-87, section 28-1.5, to update the formula and increase the city minimum wage; committee members approved the measure as amended by voice/roll call (Councilor Castro, Councilor Michael Garcia and Chair Chavez voted in favor).

The committee heard a 1,400-response city survey and a 72-response Santa Fe Chamber survey prepared by city staff. Alicia Montoya, the city’s community development director, said roughly 70% of city-survey respondents “strongly support” raising the living wage to $17.50 and that 85% of respondents said the current $15 wage does not meet Santa Fe’s cost of living. The Chamber responses showed mixed business views but that many local employers already pay higher wages and provide benefits.

Why it matters: Advocates said a higher locally mandated wage would help workers afford housing and reduce turnover; business groups and some councilors raised concerns about possible price increases, pressure on small employers and impacts on internships and nonprofit budgets.

What the committee did and the key amendments - City-employee floor: Councilor Michael Garcia introduced and the committee adopted an amendment specifying that “beginning 01/01/2026, the minimum wage for city employees shall be an hourly rate of $17.50.” Staff told the committee this change would affect a small number of temporary and probationary employees and cost the general fund less than $60,000 annually if implemented immediately. - Citywide increase and carve-outs: Councilor Castro moved a second amendment that raised the citywide minimum to $20 and sought to remove exemptions for 501(c)(3) organizations and for-student carve-outs; the committee adopted that amendment by roll call.

The committee then approved the main motion to advance the ordinance “as amended,” sending the package — including the two adopted amendments — to subsequent committee hearings and eventually to the governing body for an adoption hearing.

Public comment: Dozens of residents, workers and nonprofit leaders addressed the committee in person. Speakers who identified themselves as service workers and nonprofit staff described difficulty covering rent and basic costs on current wages and urged passage. Examples: - Jessmy Estrada, a restaurant worker, said at age 4 years in Santa Fe she shares housing because single rents are unaffordable on current pay. - Amanda Bridal, who works with the Food Depot, described how a higher wage allowed her to cover rent and medical bills and reduced her need for multiple jobs. - Scott Bunton, a Food Depot board member, testified that local minimum-wage workers are at risk of hunger and homelessness and warned that exempting the smallest businesses could worsen worker instability. Opponents and cautionary voices warned of potential job losses and higher costs for small businesses; one commenter said a local employer withdrew a job posting pending the outcome of the ordinance debate.

Interns, students and nonprofit exemptions: Staff explained the current ordinance already exempts interns who are working for academic credit; Professor Riley White (UNM) and other presenters warned that creating or removing carve-outs can produce enforcement challenges and unintended labor-market effects. Committee members discussed enforcement complexity and the need to avoid inadvertently displacing youth training opportunities.

Next steps: The committee’s approval advances the ordinance and the amendments to additional committee hearings and ultimately to the full governing body. Staff said FAQs and survey data will be posted to the city website and that further adjustments are possible in later committee stages.

What the record shows: The committee took recorded roll-call votes on the amendments and the final motion. City staff provided a fiscal note on the city-employee amendment and survey data to inform debate.

The ordinance text and staff reports will be posted online; the governing body is scheduled to consider the measure at its regular adoption hearing in the coming weeks.