Harris County commissioners vote to raise minimum wage for county employees

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- Some Harris County employees may soon see a bump in their pay.

On Thursday evening, Harris County commissioners approved a proposal to raise the minimum wage for county workers.

The video above is from the previous report: Harris County could raise minimum wage to $20 for county employees if proposal approved

Currently, county workers have a minimum wage of $15 per hour.

The new policy calls for a minimum wage of $20 an hour for county employees starting May 3 and $21.65 an hour for workers on county-contracted projects that are set up after July 1.

Commissioner Rodney Ellis says it would benefit everyone, not just county employees.

"Strong wages build strong communities because when you do wages for people at this level, they reinvest it in the economy," Ellis said during a press conference Thursday.

The proposal also guarantees a yearly raise for county employees based on figures from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) living wage calculator.