The City of North Miami Beach (“City”) has an interest in protecting the public health, safety and welfare of its residents by establishing certain compensation requirements for its employees. The City has a responsibility when spending public funds to set a community standard that permits its employees to live above the poverty line and setting a minimum compensation level by way of a living wage should allow City employees to support themselves and their families with dignity. 

Sub-poverty level wages do not serve the public interest and place an undue burden on taxpayers and the community, which must further subsidize employers who pay inadequate wages by providing their employees social services such as health care, housing, nutrition, and energy assistance.  Such compensation requirements have the potential to increase consumer income and thereby decrease the number of employees whose incomes are below the poverty level, invigorate neighborhood business, help reduce blight in the City, and reduce the need for taxpayer-funded subsidies; and

            Florida Statute 218.077(3)(a)(1)-(2) provides that a City is not limited in its ability to establish a minimum wage for employees of the City and the proposed amendment establishes a living wage rate of no less than $11.33 per hour with health care benefits and $14.50 per hour with no health benefits offered. Additionally, the proposed code amendment provides that full-time and part-time City employees will be paid the living wage no later than January 1, 2020, that seasonal employees will be paid the living wage beginning January 1, 2021, that the living wage may be updated by a resolution of the City Commission based upon the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.