Debate sparks over Albuquerque's $15 minimum wage proposal

追加: 2026-05-31

[00:00:02]SEVEN NEWS AT SIX STARTS RIGHT NOW.

[00:00:07]WORKER MAKES 20% LOWER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE, BUT OUR RENTS ARE 25% HIGHER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.

[00:00:16]SO THAT’S QUITE A DISPARITY.

[00:00:18]ALBUQUERQUE’S MINIMUM WAGE COULD INCREASE SOON.

[00:00:20]TONIGHT.

[00:00:21]A TARGET 7 INVESTIGATION.

[00:00:22]WE LOOK AT HOW THAT COULD IMPACT WORKERS AND BUSINESSES AS COSTS CONTINUE TO SOAR.

[00:00:27]JOINING US NOW IS JASON MCNABB.

[00:00:29]JASON, THIS WILL BE A 25% INCREASE.

[00:00:30]YEAH.

[00:00:31]OF COURSE, THE MINIMUM AMOUNT OF WORKER CAN CURRENTLY EARN RIGHT NOW IN THE DUKE CITY IS 12 HOURS OR $12 RATHER.

[00:00:38]THE CITY COUNCIL IS LOOKING AT UPPING THAT TO $15 AN HOUR.

[00:00:42]THOSE IN FAVOR ARGUE THAT IT’S NECESSARY TO KEEP UP WITH THE RISING COSTS.

[00:00:47]BUT OTHERS SAY SMALL BUSINESSES WILL SUFFER BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE NOT ABLE TO AFFORD TO LIVE IN ALBUQUERQUE RIGHT NOW.

[00:00:55]CITY COUNCILOR FIEBELKORN REPRESENTS PART OF ALBUQUERQUE’S NORTHEAST HEIGHTS.

[00:00:58]SHE SAYS RISING RENT BILLS AND OTHER HIGH COSTS ARE MAKING IT HARD FOR MANY TO MAKE ENDS MEET.

[00:01:05]RIGHT NOW IN OUR COMMUNITY, IF THERE ARE TWO PEOPLE BOTH WORKING FULL TIME JOBS, MAKING MINIMUM WAGE, THEY STILL CAN’T AFFORD A TWO BEDROOM APARTMENT.

[00:01:13]HER PROPOSAL TO RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE FROM $12 AN HOUR TO $15 AN HOUR.

[00:01:17]SO I WOULD LIKE IT TO BE A LITTLE HIGHER.

[00:01:20]LEGITIMATELY.

[00:01:20]I THINK IT COSTS MORE THAN THAT PER HOUR TO LIVE, BUT THIS IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

[00:01:28]SHE SAYS HER PROPOSAL IS BASED ON WHAT SHE’S SEEN IN OTHER CITIES IN LAS CRUCES AND SANTA FE, TWO OF NEW MEXICO’S OTHER LARGEST CITIES.

[00:01:38]MINIMUM WAGES STAND AT 1301 AND 1503, WITH AN INCREASE TO 1750 COMING NEXT YEAR.

[00:01:43]FOR THE CITY TO SEE THAT INFLUENCE ON OUR OUR NEIGHBORING CITIES IS IS ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC.

[00:01:49]JOANNA NELSON IS THE ACTING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR FOR THE CITY OF SANTA FE.

[00:01:54]SHE’S OVERSEEING THEIR MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE AND AGREES WITH COUNCILOR FIEBELKORN THAT IT’S NEEDED TO KEEP UP WITH THE COST OF LIVING.

[00:02:02]RAISING MINIMUM WAGE IS JUST ONE PART OF THAT OVERALL FORMULA THAT IMPROVE ECONOMIC CONDITIONS, AND I THINK IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT TO ENFORCE THAT.

[00:02:10]IT’S A GREAT STEP FORWARD.

[00:02:12]BUT NOT EVERYONE AGREES.

[00:02:13]THERE’S A VERY FAMOUS SAYING IN ECONOMICS, THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH.

[00:02:18]AND THIS IS EXACTLY THAT KIND OF EXAMPLE.

[00:02:21]PAUL GUESSING IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE TAXPAYER WATCH GROUP RIO GRANDE FOUNDATION.

[00:02:25]WHILE MINIMUM WAGES HAVE BEEN GRADUALLY RISING OVER THE YEARS TO KEEP UP WITH INFLATION, HE CALLS THIS INCREASE SIGNIFICANT.

[00:02:31]IT’S A VERY TROUBLING AND SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE MINIMUM WAGE AT A TIME WHEN AFFORDABILITY IS AN ISSUE.

[00:02:37]BUT WE COULD BE DOING OTHER THINGS IN THIS STATE AND IN THIS CITY TO IMPROVE AFFORDABILITY.

[00:02:41]DO YOU BELIEVE SMALL BUSINESSES ARE GOING TO SUFFER BECAUSE OF THIS?

[00:02:45]YES, ABSOLUTELY.

[00:02:45]HE SAYS SMALL BUSINESSES AND RESTAURANTS ARE GOING TO FEEL THE BRUNT OF THE INCREASE AS THEIR OPERATIONAL COSTS WILL RISE.

[00:02:53]THE MOST NOTABLE WAY YOU’LL SEE THAT IS THROUGH SOME OF THESE RESTAURANTS AND SMALL BUSINESSES, EITHER RAISING PRICES OR POSSIBLY CLOSING UP SHOP ENTIRELY.

[00:03:03]NELSON CALLS IT A VALID CONCERN, BUT SAYS RESEARCH DISAGREES WITH IT.

[00:03:07]BUT WHAT WE HAVE SEEN BASED ON REAL TIME AS WELL AS, AGAIN, OUR RESEARCH THAT WE HAVE CONDUCTED WITH OUR ECONOMISTS AND OTHER RESEARCHERS, IS THAT IT INCREASES VERY LITTLE.

[00:03:18]SHE SAYS MANY BUSINESSES FACE THOSE SAME CONCERNS.

[00:03:20]WHEN SANTA FE INCREASED THEIR MINIMUM WAGE TO $15 AN HOUR, BUT SAYS THE CITY WAS ABLE TO TACKLE THEM.

[00:03:26]THE THINGS THAT WE’VE DONE TO ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE COSTS AND WHAT WE’RE ANTICIPATING, ESPECIALLY AS THE THE NEW LIVING WAGE COMES INTO EFFECT IN 2027, IS REALLY AMPING UP OUR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.

[00:03:37]HOWEVER, GUESSING BELIEVES RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE IS A MERE BAND-AID ON LARGER ECONOMIC ISSUES.

[00:03:43]AT THE STATE LEVEL, WE SHOULD BE GIVING MONEY IN THE FORM OF TAX REDUCTIONS BACK TO THE TAXPAYERS NOW.

[00:03:49]SHELLEY CITY COUNCIL IS SLATED TO VOTE ON RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE THIS UPCOMIN