The Portland City Council on Monday night will consider a proposal to gradually raise the municipal minimum wage to $20 an hour over the next three years.
Portland's current minimum wage is $15.50 an hour. Under the proposal, the minimum wage would increase to $17 an hour in 2026, $18 an hour the following year, and so on.
Proponents of the increase have stressed that wages will go up over the course of three years, not all at once.
But some Portland business owners have said that the proposed minimum wage is too much to absorb, and that they'll have to raise prices or may consider relocating outside the city.
If the council approves the measure, Portland residents will vote Nov. 4 on whether to adopt it. The new minimum wage would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026.
