Johnson County supervisors set recommended minimum wage to $12.64 an hour

Ryan Hansen, Iowa City Press-Citizen
·2 min read
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The Johnson County Administration Building sign is pictured Monday, April 1, 2024 in Iowa City, Iowa.
The Johnson County Administration Building sign is pictured Monday, April 1, 2024 in Iowa City, Iowa.

Johnson County's suggested minimum wage is on the rise.

The county Board of Supervisors recently set its recommended minimum wage at $12.64 per hour, raising the hourly rate by 39 cents.

The suggested increase is scheduled to begin on July 1.

The supervisors do not have legal authority to enforce a new minimum wage, though the board suggested an increase as a symbolic gesture, according to a press release.

The suggested minimum wage increase is based on information gathered from the Consumer Price Index, which measures inflation.

The Board of Supervisors "urges employers to voluntarily pay their employees at least $10.75 per hour and, if possible, to strive to pay a 'living wage.'"

The state's required minimum wage is $7.25 and has remained equal to the current federal minimum wage for 15 years. In 2015, the Johnson County supervisors unanimously passed an ordinance establishing a local minimum wage, which allowed the board to regularly raise the recommended wage for Johnson County residents.

The supervisors' ordinance called for $750 fines for each employee who was being paid below the established minimum wage. Repeat offenders were subject to a $1,000 fine. Employees could also recoup wages that fell between their actual pay and the local minimum wage at the time.

From February: 'Stop the war on workers': Union members rally in Des Moines, protesting 'right-to-work' laws

Despite state law, suggested wages have continued to rise

In 2017, former Gov. Terry Branstad signed into law a bill that made local minimum wage ordinances "void" and "unenforceable. "

The supervisors have continuously urged local businesses to pay their workers better despite Branstad's bill, citing inflation and significant housing and rental costs in Johnson County.

Johnson County's suggested minimum wage has increased by varying amounts over the past decade:

  • 2015: $8.20/hour

  • 2016: $9.15/hour (11.6% increase)

  • 2017: $10.10/hour (+10.4%)

  • March 30, 2017: New law signed, making local minimum wage requirements into suggestions

  • 2020: $10.63/hour (+5.2%)

  • 2021: $10.75/hour (+1.1%)

  • 2022: $11.56/hour (+7.5%)

  • 2023: $12.25/hour (+6%)

  • 2024: $12.64/hour (+3.2%)

The most recent wage suggestion matches the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index data between February of 2023 and 2024. Year-over-year price comparisons for March indicated a 3.5% rise in consumer prices.

From January: Iowa fails to follow national lead in increasing minimum wage

Democrats in Des Moines proposed a bill that would raise the state's minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2026.

That proposal would have pushed the minimum wage to $10.95 an hour beginning July 1. The bill was referred to the Labor and Workforce Committee in February, though no action has been taken, effectively rendering it dead.

Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached at rhansen@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ryanhansen01.

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Johnson County supervisors approve suggested minimum wage of $12.64 per hour