The Des Moines mayor says full-time workers for the city deserve a minimum wage of $15 an hour.

The Des Moines Register reports that 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.