Politics & Government
Novato Council To Discuss Minimum-Wage Acceleration Plan
The council will consider introducing an ordinance that would gradually increase the minimum wage at businesses in Novato to $15 an hour.
NOVATO, CA — The Novato City Council will consider introducing a proposed ordinance on Tuesday that gradually would increase the minimum wage at businesses in Novato to $15 an hour.
The proposed ordinance is intended to accelerate the state's schedule for increasing the hourly minimum wage to $15. The minimum wage for employers with 25 employees or less will reach $15 an hour on Jan. 1, 2023, and for employers with 26 or more workers on Jan. 1, 2022.
Under the Novato ordinance, the hourly wage of employees of very large employers (100 employees or more) shall be no less than $13 starting on Jan. 1, 2020 and no less that $15 an hour on July 1, 2020.
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The wage of employees of large employers (26-99 employees) shall be no less than $13 an hour on Jan. 1, 2020, no less than $14 on July 1, 2020 and no less than $15 on Jan. 1, 2021.
The hourly wage of employees of small employers (1-25 employees) shall be no less than $12 on Jan. 1 2020, $14 on Jan. 1, 2021 and no less than $15 an hour on Jan. 1, 2022.
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After Jan. 1, 2013, when all workers are making $15 an hour, wages would be adjusted according to the Consumer Price Index for urban and clerical workers in the San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area or 3.5 percent, whichever is less, under Novato's ordinance.
In Novato, there are 1,756 businesses with no employees, 14 very large businesses, 76 large businesses and 1,304 small businesses, according to a staff report on the proposed ordinance.
There are exemptions in the proposed ordinance for employees between 14 and 17 years old and employees who receive tips or gratuities.
A community survey received 220 responses to the proposed ordinance as of Sept. 18. It showed 44.5 percent approved the wage increase and 55.5 percent did not. The survey said 87 percent of the respondents were Novato residents, 31.4 percent were business owners and 46.4 percent worked in Novato.
The Novato City Council meeting is 6 p.m. at City Hall, 701 Sherman Ave.
– Bay City News Service
