*Bizjournals recently encapsulated their stories in wrappers that prevent archives and proxies. You can still copy the text and read it.* Columbus City Council will vote Monday on raising the minimum required wage to $20 an hour for a company to get incentives from the city. "We want to make sure we're not just creating job opportunities, but we're creating opportunities for workers to have a livable wage and live and enjoy the city they work in," Councilman Nick Bankston told Columbus Business First. If passed on Monday, which Bankston believed will happen, the new wage policy would take effect on Jan. 1. Earlier this year, Columbus city staff recommended city council raise the required minimum wage to get an incentive from $15 an hour to somewhere between $18.50 and $20 an hour. The city held two public meetings and other meetings with stakeholders to discuss the issue. The city evaluates whether the minimum wage requirement should be raised or lowered every three years, Quinten Harris, the city's deputy director of economic development, previously told Business First. To make this recommendation, the city researched wages and conducted a review of the companies that have received incentives in recent years. Based on a five-year analysis of wages by sector and company, Bankston said most job sectors already cleared the $20 an hour mark in terms of average pay, although the average entry level wage for jobs in the warehousing and logistics sectors lagged behind others in Columbus. The warehousing and logistics sector has seen the most projects and the most incentives in Columbus – 27 over the last five years, compared with 19 for the the next highest sector, real estate rental and leasing. The Columbus Development Department frequently uses a 10-year, 75% abatement to get a company to invest in Columbus. The city also often uses job growth incentives, which offer income tax breaks in exchange for new jobs created. Both the abatements and tax breaks require companies pay at least the city's designated wage. Bankston said the $20 an hour minimum is in line with the city's new residential tax abatement policy. Columbus City Council this summer approved an updated residential tax abatement policy, which will incentivize developers to price 10% of their units for those making 60% of the area median income and 10% for those at 80% of the area median income, or reserve 30% of units priced for those at 80% of the area median income. Every developer seeking an abatement with permits granted after Sept. 1, 2023, will have to follow the new policy. "Wages should match that," he said. "I think both those policies show that this council values workers." A $20 an hour wage translates to about $41,000 annually. Bankston said the $20 an hour required minimum wage is a "sweet spot," allowing Columbus to continue to compete with other municipalities both in Ohio and in other states across the country. "This is a balanced approach, we think we're going to attract employers who value their people," Bankston said. Bankston said the new wage policy will not only be used to attract new employers, but also attract new residents. He hopes the new policy shows that the city values its residents and wants them to have a job that pays a dignified wage with health benefits. "We are continuing to grow and our economic development strategy is working, it is evidenced by our income revenue and our upcoming budget," Bankston said. "We want to leverage that for our residents."