At a business roundtable for 5th District legislative candidates held Wednesday, reception to a $15 minimum wage was cool-to-cold among Issaquah business owners.

At best, participants said they thought national, state and municipal governments should watch Seattle for a while before moving ahead to raise the minimum.

At worst, they said they thought an increase that steep would force them to lose employees, raise prices and drive away customers.

Rep. Jay Rodne, the Republican incumbent candidate for the 5th District, said minimum wages couldn’t be increased without finding a way to raise the revenues to pay them.

“It will raise the water level everywhere,” he said.

Seattle’s city council voted in June to gradually raise the city’s minimum wage to $15 an hour. Businesses with more than 500 employees will have three years to phase in the new wage, while those with fewer employees will have seven.

The passage of the wage followed the failure of the group 15 Now to place an initiative to raise Seattle’s wage on the November ballot.

On Sep. 10, Working Washington organized a fast food worker strike and march across the Interstate highway 90 bridge to advocate for a $15 minimum wage increase in cities beyond Seattle.

Gym owner Norma Stephens (STORY: “Business and occupation tax would increase under Mayor’s budget”) said a $15 minimum wage would be devastating to her Curves franchise. She added that she believed such an increase would discourage businesses from hiring unskilled laborers, or teenagers seeking their first job.