2018-417-E Finance - Orange County Living Wage outside agency agreement

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DocuSign Envelope ID: COBB49A6 -D1 E9- 42DE- 8E8D- 7583E683E1E2 EXHIBIT A: PROVIDER'S OUTSIDE AGENCY APPLICATION The Chapel Hill Town Council's Goals for 2016 -2078 aim to "support community prosperity." Chapel Hill's Human Services Needs Assessment states that our area needs more living wage jobs. Certification of our current roster of 141 employers covers 7,799 employees and has led to a cumulative wage increase of $041,175. Workers at the lower end of the wage spectrum tend to spend money close to home on basic needs. Using a conservative formula* to gauge local impact, certification - related wage increases from 2010 and 2017 led to a likely local economic stimulus of more than a million dollars. *Wage gains from 2016 + wage gains from 2017 x 1.21 (with 1.21 as the multiplier) The Town of Carrboro wants to help citizens "develop a human environment that promotes trust, mutual respect acceptance, happiness and wellbeing." In 2018, there is nothing less respectful to a hard - working individual than our federal minimum wage of $7.25. North Carolina has chosen not to raise the state's minimum wage, and has passed laws forbidding municipalities to do so. For a worker with a family, the minimum wage — or even several dollars higher — affords little wellbeing, happiness, or respect. Promoting a fair wage for an hour's work puts more money in workers' pockets; shows respect for their work; recognizes the challenges of making ends meet with lower wages; and puts community values into effective and measurable action. The Town of Carrboro also aims to "develop innovative approaches to support the community. OCLW's work with a wide variety of employers is an innovative approach to supporting community. We partner with businesses who voluntarily choose to pay workers living wages; this collaboration moves beyond labels of "pro- business" or "pro- worker" to implement a program that supports businesses, respects workers, and strengthens community. By partnering with OLCW, businesses and employers publicly endorse our mission and affirm the importance of paying all their employees fairly. However, when businesses can't meet the living wage threshold and decline to certify, we do not pass judgement, engage in negative publicity, or organize boycotts. We respect the ongoing, daily challenges our local business owners face in meeting payroll and paying rent. Orange County's Board of County Commissioners' goals include "increasing the number of living wage jobs" in the county, as they implement planning and development policies" that create a balanced, dynamic local economy and reject inequity." The Towns' and the County's goals, assessments, and priorities consistently emphasize affordable housing. Orange County's living wage calculation connects directly to a worker's ability to afford housing in our area. We use a four -year average of US HUD Fair Market Rent data (from four counties, with our area's data double - weighted) to define and justify our living wage rates. Our living wage calculation assumes that no more than 30% of income is spent on housing. Because rents increase, so does our living wage. Our PROGRAM INFORMATION 1121/2018 12 :07:58 PM Page , 0 of 17