Tiffin takes a step back from tiered minimum wage ordinance

As Linn County officials get closer to creating a working group to explore a countywide minimum wage ordinance, those in Johnson County's Tiffin have returned to square one.

On Tuesday, the Tiffin City Council voted 3-2 against a tiered wage ordinance that would keep the $7.25 an hour state/federal minimum wage for those younger than 18-years-old and apply the new, higher Johnson County wage to those older that 18. In the second of three readings required to pass, the resolution failed.

'We start all over at the next meeting,' said City Administrator Doug Boldt.

Council Member Al Havens said Tuesday's discussion again reflected a five-member council that is almost evenly divided on how to address the minimum wage ordinance placed on them by the Johnson County Board of Supervisors.

'We just weren't coming to a wholehearted agreement on it,' Havens said. 'We could not change the ordinance so we just had to defeat it.'

At this point, a formal resolution is not on the table, but Havens said the council floated the idea of a similar resolution that would put that threshold between the state/federal rate and the county's rate at 16 years of age.

Boldt said he plans to bring a new resolution — which basically changes the age threshold from 18 years of age to 16 — back to the council next month.

It's been more than three months since the first increase to Johnson County's minimum wage was implemented. In May, the second 95-cent hike will take effect and bring the county wage to $9.25 an hour. That rate will reach $10.10 in 2017.

Most of the county's cities are following the county's ordinance, but the cities of Oxford, Shueyville, Solon, and Swisher have opted out.

While Johnson County's minimum wage ordinance continues to flesh out, Linn County officials may soon create a committee to discuss their own ordinance.

Linn County's Board of Supervisors on Wednesday discussed — but did not vote on — a proposal by Supervisor Brent Oleson to create a working group to explore a countywide minimum wage increase.

'The purpose of the group is to meet and gather information, studies, testimony, anecdotes and any other information deemed necessary to inform the Board of Supervisors on a proposal to raise the minimum wage within Linn County,' Oleson said in the letter.

The proposed committee would include more than a dozen representatives throughout the county including elected officials or city staff in Cedar Rapids, Marion, Hiawatha, Ely and Central City, a state legislator, two county supervisors and other officials with labor groups and business chambers.

The list also includes seats for a business owner paying minimum wage and an employee earning a minimum wage. Additional people could be added to the group by the committee.

In the letter, Supervisor Brent Oleson notes that one of the group's key goals is to see if the cities of Marion, Hiawatha and Cedar Rapids will follow the ordinance, 'as nearly all who would be affected by the wage increase perform services/labor or operate said business within the municipal boundaries of such cities.'

The board could formally vote next week on the proposed committee.