As someone who has worked for years with Southwest Colorado’s immigrant and working-class families, I strongly support Durango raising the minimum wage by 15% – the maximum allowed under Colorado House Bill 19-1210, which gives local governments this authority.
I’ve seen firsthand the painful cost of poverty: parents working two or three jobs just to survive, missing out on precious time with their kids. Our families are breaking under the weight of low wages. Children are increasingly stepping in to support their households, not for extra cash, but for basic survival.
Raising the minimum wage does not kill small businesses. In fact, what hurts them more is a local economy where workers can’t afford to spend. When wages are low, money leaves our community – sent to big box retailers and online platforms. Small businesses suffer not because of fair wages, but because too few people can afford to shop local.
Let’s also not ignore the real threat to local restaurants: third-party delivery apps like DoorDash and Uber Eats, which take up to 30% in fees. That model is bleeding our eateries far more than fair wages ever could.
$17.03 is not a magic fix, but it’s a necessary step. With La Plata County’s living wage now over $24 an hour, we owe it to our community to act. City Council has both the legal authority and the moral responsibility to raise the wage – and to listen to workers, not just the Chamber.
Enrique A. Orozco-Perez
Bayfield
