Contact: Erin Musgrave
erin@emccommunications.com, 530-864-7014

Nov. 1, 2021—Today, Brian England, owner of BA Auto Care in Columbia, and Alissa Barron-Menza, vice president of Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, join Howard County Councilmembers Opel Jones and Christiana Rigby, and community leaders, at a press conference introducing new legislation to incrementally raise Howard County’s minimum wage to $16. Business leaders say minimum wage increases will boost consumer spending, strengthen the workforce and help build a shared economic recovery.

“As BA Auto Care has grown over the years, paying our employees fair wages and benefits has been central to our success,” said Brian England, owner of BA Auto Care in Columbia, whose awards include Best of Howard County and Maryland Small Business of the Year. “What we’ve paid in higher compensation, we have more than reaped in low employee turnover, long-term loyalty, excellent service, and high numbers of return customers and referrals. Howard County’s minimum wage increases will greatly help our local recovery, as the needed pay raises go straight back into businesses and the community.”

“Raising the minimum wage will help the economy and my business. I can’t hire anyone unless people buy our products,” said Scott Nash, CEO and founder of MOM’s Organic Market in Jessup, with additional locations across Maryland, Virginia, D.C., New Jersey and New York. “We’ve grown to over 1,300 employees at 21 locations. There is no higher return on investment than investing in people. Well-paid employees stay longer, offer better customer service, and are more engaged, all of which helps increase revenues.”

Alissa Barron-Menza, vice president of Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, said, “This legislation to raise Howard County’s minimum wage is very timely. It’s bad for businesses when working people can’t afford the basics. Raising the minimum wage puts money in the pockets of people who most need to spend it. And it encourages the kind of fair pay business model that will help workers, businesses and communities recover from the pandemic and thrive in the future.”

The legislation, Council Bill 82-2021, would incrementally raise Howard County’s minimum wage to $16 by Jan. 1, 2025 for businesses with 15 or more employees, and to $16 by Jan. 1, 2026 for businesses with 14 or fewer employees, with annual cost-of-living increases starting in subsequent years.

To speak with business leaders supportive of raising the minimum wage, please contact Erin Musgrave at erin@emccommunications.com or 530-864-7014.

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Business for a Fair Minimum Wage is a national network of business owners and executives and business organizations that believe a fair minimum wage makes good business sense. twitter.com/MinimumWageBiz