Should Bozeman Institute a Higher Minimum Wage?
Everywhere you go in Bozeman you see businesses from retail to service industry with 'Help Wanted' signs.
Places willing to pay people $10, $12 or even $15 dollars an hour and people are still having trouble finding employees.
The reason being, the cost of living in Bozeman is so high that people can't afford to live here on low paying jobs.
So, what if Bozeman instituted a higher minimum wage than the state average?
The current minimum wage for Montana is $8.50, but Bozeman could go the way of cities like Seattle, Portland and other areas where the cost of living exceeds that of most of the state.
The problem is, there are many small businesses in the Bozeman area that could struggle with this initiative.
So, what do you think? Should Bozeman be the first Montana city to institute a higher minimum wage?