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Las Cruces City Council Reviews Minimum Wage Increase

Las Cruces City Council heard from city staff on the impact of the minimum wage on Las Cruces economy, six months ahead of the date the next increase is set to go into effect.

Las Cruces City Council heard from city staff, business owners, and minimum wage workers on how the minimum wage impact has affected Las Cruces.

City Staff showed since increasing minimum wage GRT sales, restaurant GRT sales, and business permits have increased, while acknowledging that this could be the result of many factors.

Sarah Silva, Executive Director of New Mexico CAFé, the group the led the push for the minimum wage increase, says it’s great to hear from workers on how the increase has improved their lives.

“It’s fantastic to come off of a city council work session that really highlights the data that shows we’ve had growth in our GRT, employments up, job growth is up since 2015,” Silva said. “So we’re really grateful to see all those returns on the data, but also all the good testimonies we’re hearing from workers saying we can take our kids out now, we can save some money, so it’s been a good year.”

Debbi Moore, President and CEO of the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce, asked the city to do more research on how the next increase will effect the economy before the increase goes into effect in January.

“Well I think the challenges with the Affordable Care Act coming down the pipe,” Moore said. “And they are going to have to make sure their business plan is in place, and make sure the money is there and it’s going to hit them hard, and I just want to make sure the data is there in place, and the chamber is poised to help them planning through this.”

Mayor Ken Miyagishima says he hasn’t seen a negative impact on business growth.

“We really have not seen a lot of businesses,” Miyagishima said. “In fact I haven’t had any that have told me they are not coming here because of the increase in the minimum wage, and I think like anything else you have to invest in your community.”

Miyagishima said many people have spoken to him about the benefits of the increase.

“It’s important to be able to help our families,” Miyagishima said. “This increase in the minimum wage it’s a nice opportunity in that businesses can start preparing for it, and kind of go from there. I’m supportive of it. I’m looking forward to the increase, and also the next increase in 2019.”

The Las Cruces minimum wage is currently $8.40 an hour, and is scheduled to increase to $9.20 an hour in 2017, and $10.10 an hour in 2019.

Samantha Sonner was a multimedia reporter for KRWG- TV/FM.