§ 15.17.060. Living wage required.

A.

Every covered employer must pay covered employees no less than a living wage for all hours worked as a covered employee. The living wage shall be ten dollars per hour upon implementation of this chapter. Each year thereafter, starting January 1, 2008, the amount of the living wage shall be upwardly adjusted in proportion to the increase, if any, for the period of the preceding September over the level as of September of the immediately preceding year in the "Consumer Price Index—All Urban Consumers" or its successor index as published by the U.S. Department of Labor or its successor agency.

B.

A covered employer may claim a credit toward the living wage in the amount of their average hourly health care expenditure per covered employee, up to the maximum health care expenditure credit. A covered employer may use any reasonable methodology to determine their average health care expenditure per covered employee. To claim this credit, a covered employer must furnish proof of health care expenditures made on behalf of each covered employees or their family to the city administrator or his/her designee.

C.

Beginning in 2007 and each year thereafter, the city shall publish a bulletin on December 1st announcing the adjusted living wages and maximum health care expenditure credit, which shall take effect on January 1st of the following year. This bulletin shall be distributed to all city agencies and covered employers upon publication. Covered employers shall provide written notification of the rate adjustments to their covered employees, and to their affected contractors and subcontractors. In the event that the city fails to publish the adjusted living wages, it shall remain the obligation of each covered employer to calculate and begin paying the adjusted living wages effective January 1st.

(C.O.07-24 § 1 (part))