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Boulder County commissioners direct staff to draft ordinance modifying local minimum wage
Summary
On Oct. 21, 2025 the Boulder County Board of County Commissioners directed staff to draft an ordinance consistent with the staffoption displayed as "option 5" (set 2026 wage at $16.82 with a CPI-based schedule thereafter, as discussed) and asked staff to convene a regional committee and develop business and farm assistance proposals; a first-reading date will be set following public-notice deadlines.
Boulder County commissioners on Oct. 21, 2025 directed staff to draft an ordinance to modify the countys local minimum wage and asked staff to convene regional partners and develop a business- and farm-support program.
Staff presented five options for the 2026 wage schedule: pause at the current $16.57 for 2026 with no schedule set; pause at $16.57 until 2030 (the year county wages would align with the state); pause at $16.57 in 2026 then apply CPI-based annual increases (staff used a 3% CPI assumption in its charts); set 2026 at $16.82 to align with the City of Boulder and follow the citys schedule; or set 2026 at $16.82 and then move to a CPI schedule. Natalie Springett, the commissioners deputy, summarized those options for the record.
Commissioners disagreed about the best path to preserve worker incomes while responding to concerns from unincorporated-area employers. One commissioner said regional alignment had not materialized and favored staying above the state floor; another, Commissioner Stalsman, argued against any move that…
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