# Lincoln City Council set to vote on minimum wage, viaduct project  
**Published:** 2026-05-08T12:30:36.000Z  
**Source:** [Lincoln City Council Agendas](https://lnklan.granicus.com/AgendaViewer.php?view_id=2&event_id=893)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/lincoln-city-council-set-to-vote-on-minimum-wage-viaduct-project

LINCOLN, Neb. — The Lincoln City Council will convene Monday for a regularly scheduled meeting that includes a vote on a proposed [minimum wage ordinance](https://lnklan.granicus.com/AgendaViewer.php?view_id=2&event_id=893) and several transportation projects advancing in the city.

The council will vote on ordinance 26-41, which would establish a municipal minimum wage of $15 per hour, reversing modifications made by the Nebraska Legislature earlier this year. In November 2022, 67% of local voters supported Initiative 433, establishing a path to a $15 minimum wage in Nebraska by 2026 with annual cost-of-living adjustments. However, the Nebraska Legislature created carveouts allowing lower wages for younger workers and capped the voter-approved inflation adjustment at 1.75%.

A line of Lincolnites stretched down the aisle of the City/County chambers during a recent public hearing, all ready to speak about the proposed ordinance to maintain a $15 minimum wage standard in the city. Organizations such as the League of Women Voters of Lincoln/Lancaster County, Nebraska Appleseed, Mental Health Association of Nebraska, and Bridges to Hope all spoke in support, along with Voices for Children in Nebraska, a nonprofit dedicated to issues affecting new generations. Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird has signaled support for the measure.

The council will also approve several funding agreements related to the 33rd Street and Cornhusker Highway viaduct project, a $120 million initiative that has been in the works for nine years and would eliminate at-grade railroad crossings. The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Railroad Administration awarded up to $66.7 million to the city for the project.

Plans call for closing two at-grade railroad crossings at North 33rd Street and at North 35th and Adams streets and replacing them with a new viaduct over the rail corridor between North 27th and North 48th streets. The $114 million project will improve safety outcomes by eliminating two at-grade crossings that have resulted in 20 accidents with six fatalities in recent years.

Additionally, the meeting will include the presentation of the 2025 Mayor's Award of Excellence to Fariha Mohmand, a [Community Outreach Specialist](https://lincoln.ne.gov/city/health) with the Health Department, in the category of Inclusion and Belonging.

The meeting will begin at 3 p.m. Monday. The Board of Equalization will convene immediately prior to discuss property assessments in six business improvement districts across the city.

## Sources

- [Lincoln City Council Agendas](https://lnklan.granicus.com/AgendaViewer.php?view_id=2&event_id=893)
- [Lincoln Chamber Reacts to Proposed Minimum Wage Increase Ordinance - KLIN News](https://klin.com/2026/05/01/lincoln-chamber-reacts-to-city-councils-proposed-minimum-wage-increase/)
- [City Council holds public hearing on minimum wage ordinance - 10/11 Now](https://www.1011now.com/2026/05/05/city-council-holds-public-hearing-minimum-wage-ordinance/)
- [Lincoln gets $66.7 million federal grant for railroad crossing project - Journal Star](https://journalstar.com/news/local/government-politics/lincoln-gets-66-7-million-federal-grant-for-railroad-crossing-project/article_a3ab3a0e-cf7f-11ef-abd4-473b3a2a7066.html)
- [33rd and Cornhusker Viaduct Improvement Project - City of Lincoln](https://www.lincoln.ne.gov/City/Departments/RTSD/33rd-Cornhusker)
- [Open House Set for Two North Lincoln Projects - KLIN News](https://klin.com/2026/04/17/open-house-set-for-two-north-lincoln-projects/)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Lincoln City Council Agendas, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://lnklan.granicus.com/AgendaViewer.php?view_id=2&event_id=893.