Boulder County commissioners direct staff to draft ordinance modifying local minimum wage

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 would amount to a pay cut for workers and urged development of supports for businesses and farms so wages need not be lowered. Commissioner Lachimana proposed a modification that would apply a 1.5% increase in 2026 and then CPI thereafter (a variant of option 5 discussed by staff). Commissioners also discussed legal limits on how much a municipality may increase wages relative to the state minimum in a single year and the need for additional stakeholder engagement.

After discussion, Commissioner (speaker 1) moved "to direct staff to draft an ordinance that would be consistent with what was option 5 displayed on the screen." The motion was seconded by Commissioner (speaker 2). Staff said it must meet public-notice requirements before a first-reading date is set; commissioners noted Nov. 20 is scheduled as a public hearing and could serve as a second-reading/public-comment opportunity. The board approved the motion and directed staff to begin drafting, public noticing, and returning with scopes for the regional convening and business/farm assistance work.

What the board asked staff to do next

- Draft an ordinance for first reading consistent with the option 5 displayed to the commissioners (as modified in the dais discussion). - Conduct required public noticing and set a first-reading date once statutory publication deadlines are met; Nov. 20 was identified as an existing public hearing date that could serve as a second-reading/comment opportunity. - Convene a regional committee of municipal partners to pursue regional wage alignment and return with recommended partners, scope and timeline. - Develop a business- and farm-assistance program for consideration and return to the board with program scope and quarterly updates.

By the numbers and context

- Current county rate cited by staff: $16.57 (the level the county is set at for 2025/2026 baseline in staff materials). - City of Boulder 2026 figure cited: $16.82 (the value used in staff options to align county policy with the city). - Staff assumed CPI at 3% in modeling future year schedules. - Staff estimated the county minimum-wage policy applies to roughly 20,000 workers; commissioners noted they do not know how many are actually paid the floor.

Quotes

"Every single proposal brought forward is a pay decrease. You can try to sugarcoat it, but a pay cut is a pay cut," Commissioner Stalsman said, urging protections for workers while developing business supports.

"I move that we direct staff to draft an ordinance that would be consistent with what was option 5 displayed on the screen," moved Commissioner (speaker 1) when submitting the direction to staff.

Next steps

Staff will prepare the ordinance language and begin public noticing required under county rules and state publication deadlines; commissioners asked staff to return with scopes for the regional convening and the business/farm assistance program and to provide quarterly updates on progress. A first-reading date will be scheduled after notice requirements are met; commissioners identified Nov. 20 as an available public hearing date that could serve for a second reading and further public comment.