The Howard County Chamber of Commerce opposes a measure that would require county contractors to pay its workers a sufficient minimum wage.
The living-wage bill “will inflate the wage rates of county service contracts above a level that is more appropriately set in the marketplace, not by government,” the chamber said in a statement. “In addition, this bill undermines the purpose of the competitive bidding process.”
The measure, introduced last week by Council Chairman Calvin Ball, D-District 2, and co-sponsored by Councilwoman Jen Terrasa, D-District 3, would require contractors to pay employees at least 125 percent of the federal poverty line, which is about $12.41 an hour.
The requirements would apply to contracts for services of $100,000 or more and exempts nonprofits and companies with fewer than five employees.
The bill would inflate costs to the county, said the chamber, which has declined to produce a fiscal note defining the impact to the county?s budget.
