Board OKs Minimum Wage Adjustments for Various Positions

The Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved salary increases for 138 Riverside County employees in order to comply with an upward adjustment in California's minimum wage.

The state minimum wage went from $8 to $9 per hour, effective Tuesday.

The hike stems from a bill signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown in September. Under the legislation, the minimum wage will increase to $10 per hour by Jan. 1, 2016.

According to county officials, 22 job classifications were affected by the adjustment. Some of the positions include "senior citizen nutrition program assistant," "service aide" and "public services worker" in the parks department. A number of temporary positions also received salary adjustments.

Brown and public employee unions lauded the minimum wage hike as a boon to working families, while business interests pointed out that it would create another disincentive to hiring new workers.

California is among 18 states with a minimum wage that exceeds the federal base of $7.25 per hour.

According to county officials, the hikes will translate to an additional $164,428 in direct costs to the county in the current fiscal year.

— City News Service.