The majority of New Yorkers are siding with Mayor Bill de Blasio on the issue of letting local governments set their own minimum wages. Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images
The majority of New York voters support giving local municipalities the power to set their own minimum wage, a new Siena College poll shows.
Seventy-three percent of voters said they support allowing local governments to increase the minimum wage in their community to a higher rate than the state’s minimum wage, while 24 percent of voters said they are opposed to it.
“Republicans are evenly divided on the issue, which enjoys the support of nearly three-quarters of independents and 85 percent of Democrats,” said Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg. “At least two-thirds in every region support it.”
Mayor Bill de Blasio has requested state permission to set the wage “consistent with the needs of working people in the five boroughs.”
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said earlier this month that he opposes the idea.
