Burlingame weighing minimum wage hike

Citing the extraordinarily high cost of living in Burlingame and San Mateo County, officials and residents largely agreed policy should be established to help those living on the fringes of affordability fend off the threat of displacement.

Mayor Emily Beach framed the proposal as a move in step with the city’s effort to address affordability by loosening development regulations in hopes of facilitating more residential construction and stemming skyrocketing housing costs.

“Making sure we are paying people fairly is part of that puzzle,” said Beach, according to video of the meeting.

Councilman Michael Brownrigg too said he would favor the proposed minimum wage increase.

“I can’t in good conscious leave the minimum wage where it is in this city,” he said.

No decision was made during the study session, and officials agreed the issue should return for further deliberation and potential action at a forthcoming meeting. Councilmembers though set their sights on establishing a $15 minimum wage by the start of 2021. San Mateo officials in 2016 were the first locally to adopt the wage hike and many other cities throughout the county have adopted similar policies since, including Redwood City, Belmont, South San Francisco and Half Moon Bay.

Many Burlingame residents and workers joined the call for wage hikes, most considering it a matter of common sense as costs rise higher across the Peninsula and surrounding Bay Area.

“I hope the council realizes this is a no-brainer,” said resident and affordability advocate Cynthia Cornell.

Resident Mike Dunham agreed, noting many other local cities have already taken action to address the issue.

“I think this is a very safe policy to consider,” he said, suggesting there is a case to be made for establishing an even higher minimum wage.

There was not unanimous community support for the proposal though, as Liz Scully claimed the wage hike would pose an extraordinary burden for small businesses like hers. Running a child care service with two employees and her daughter, Scully said the expense associated with paying her workers more will eventually be passed along to her customers.

“The cost will trickle down to parents because I can’t meet the demand of paying those costs,” she said.

Sensitive to those concerns, Councilman Ricardo Ortiz said measures should be pursued to assure independent merchants are not ambushed by the new requirement. To that end, he favored a staggered implementation and potential exemptions for those working in family businesses as well as commission-based positions.

“I do believe the minimum wage in one fell swoop would be difficult for a lot of businesses,” he said.

Vice Mayor Ann Keighran O’Brien too shared her fears about the burden facing smaller companies, many of which are already struggling to afford the rising rents and increased cost of doing business in Burlingame.

“In general I would support this, but it’s those small businesses I’m concerned about,” she said.

To ameliorate those concerns, Keighran O’Brien directed staff to return in future conversations with more details about ways other cities have shielded businesses potentially threatened by the hiked operating cost.

But Brownrigg warned against taking too much time hammering out details on the initiative, noting many local cities have already adopted a minimum wage hike and that the state’s policy will continue to take hold over the coming years as well.

“We have to move with some alacrity,” he said.

austin@smdailyjournal.com

(650) 344-5200 ext. 105