INTERVIEW — Montgomery County Executive ISIAH “IKE” LEGGETT

Leggett vetoes $15 minimum wage in Montgomery County. Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett on Monday vetoed legislation that would have made the wealthy county the first jurisdiction in Maryland to require a $15 minimum wage. Leggett (D) said boosting the wage to the level embraced by national progressive activists, including former Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.), would harm Montgomery’s economy and its ability to compete for jobs in the Washington region. The only locality that has adopted a $15 minimum is the District of Columbia, which will require employers to pay that wage by 2020. “I remain concerned . . . about the competitive disadvantage [the bill] would put the County in compared to our neighboring jurisdictions,” Leggett said in a letter to Council President Roger Berliner (D-Potomac-Bethesda).