DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Des Moines mayor says full-time workers for the city deserve a minimum wage of $15 an hour. The Des Moines Register reports Mayor Frank Cownie and the City Council told city staffers Monday to evaluate city job descriptions and functions in developing an ordinance that would guarantee a livable wage. City officials will be reviewing labor contracts as part of the process.

City personnel director James Wells says only a few full-time city positions offer a starting salary range below $15 an hour. Iowa’s state minimum wage is $7.25. Johnson County has been raising its minimum wage for all employers and will top out at $10.10 an hour on Jan. 1. Polk County and Linn County supervisors are expected to consider local wage hikes this fall.