A couple hundred Bloomington city workers may see their pay increase thanks to voters.
By a two to one margin, Bloomington voters say the city should pay all its employees at least $9.81 an hour or what's called a living wage.
Since it's an advisory referendum, it requires the city council to approve any pay hike.
"We won all the wards in the city. We won 43 of the 44 precincts. This is truly a mandate from the public for a living wage for city workers," said Jean Pretz with Central Illinois Organizing Project.
The Central Illinois Organizing Project spearheaded the referendum.
They say it should apply to custodial, parks and rec and Coliseum workers.
Living Wage supporters are cautioning council members to listen to voters in the wake of what happened after the coliseum was built.
Voters overwhelmingly rejected an advisory referendum on building the coliseum. And, the council members who went ahead with construction are now out of office.
Bloomington's Mayor Steve Stockton says paying a living wage will cost the city at least 250–thousand dollars. He says the living wage issue will appear on the council agenda soon, but to pay for it may mean cutting summer jobs.
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