The Lexington Urban County Council voted Thursday night to raise the city’s minimum wage to $10.10 an hour over the course of the next three years.
Advertisement
The current minimum wage is $7.25 an hour.
With Kentucky’s two largest cities now approving a minimum wage increase, advocates called on state lawmakers to follow suit. At an October 27 session, the proposal was added to the council’s budget after narrowly winning an 8-6 vote. Louisville raised its minimum wage by 50 cents in June and plans to increase it to $9 an hour by 2017.
The ordinance, which exempts agricultural workers and wait staff, was expected to benefit a few 30,000 workers in Lexington, the second-biggest city in Kentucky behind Louisville.
“I couldn’t be more proud to live in a progressive city like Lexington”, he said.
Advertisement
Not every council member supported the increase. Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles have all approved minimum wage hikes.
