Boulder advances tipped-wage ordinance, leaves offset amount for July hearing
City Council gave first reading to Ordinance 8754 on June 25 but did not set Boulder’s local tip offset under state law. The amount is expected to be taken up at a July 30 public hearing.
Boulder City Council on June 25 gave first reading to Proposed Ordinance 8754, advancing a measure that would amend the city’s minimum-wage code to set a local tip offset for food and beverage workers.
The unresolved question is the size of that offset. The meeting packet says council is expected to take up the amount at a public hearing on July 30.
Staff outlined four options for council:
- keep the offset at $3.02;
- raise it with minimum wage to $3.27 in 2027;
- set it at 20% of minimum wage, or $3.63 in 2027; or
- adopt a freeze-and-sunset approach that would hold tipped workers’ base wage at $13.80 for up to two years.
Under that freeze-and-sunset option, staff said the tip offset would rise to $4.37 in 2027 and about $4.92 in 2028 assuming 3% inflation.
The packet indicates council had already narrowed the discussion after an April 2 meeting, with one option removed from consideration. But the record provided does not show council settling on a final figure June 25. Staff left the 2027 amount blank in the draft ordinance and said amendment language was ready only if council chose the freeze-and-sunset approach.