The Birmingham City Council has voted to implement a new ordinance increasing the minimum wage to $10.10 beginning February 24, 2016, for all employers within the city limits.

Administrative requirements, however, may delay implementation of the new ordinance. The ordinance must be signed by the mayor, published in the newspaper, and must meet other administrative requirements, actions that may not be completed before the Alabama legislature’s bill barring city and local government wage laws is signed by the Governor. Alabama has no state minimum wage law.

The Birmingham ordinance originally sought to increase the minimum wage to $8.50 in July 2016, then to $10.10 in July 2017. However, in an apparent effort to circumvent anticipated contrary state law, the Council voted on February 23rd to implement the increase immediately.

The Alabama state legislature is considering a bill that would prohibit city or other local governments from enacting such patchwork wage laws. The state bill already has passed the House of Representatives and is before the Senate. The bill is expected to be passed by the Senate and signed by the Governor before the end of February.