Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett last week took issue with a bill now before the county council that would eventually raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, Bethesda Beat reported.
“I am concerned about the county being put in a competitive disadvantage relative to our neighboring jurisdictions,” Leggett wrote in a memo to Council President Nancy Floreen, Bethesda Beat reported. “While there is debate among experts as to the economic impact of an increase in the minimum wage, at least some believe it could lead to businesses moving across local borders, taking tax revenue with them and making it more difficult for local employees to find jobs.”
The county’s minimum wage is currently $10.75, though it will increase to $11.50 as of July 1, 2017. The current bill would raise it again to $12.50 in 2018, $13.75 in 2019 and $15 in 2020.