SOUTH PORTLAND (AP) — South Portland and Augusta are joining two other Maine municipalities considering local minimum wages that exceed the statewide minimum.

South Portland’s City Council discussed the idea during a workshop this week. Council members agreed the current minimum of $7.50 an hour is low, but disagreed about a higher wage. Augusta’s City Council held a discussion Thursday night on a proposal to set a minimum wage of $8.25 an hour.

Bangor officials are considering a proposal to raise the wage to $8.25 by Jan. 1 and $9.75 by 2018. Portland is set to vote next month on whether to raise its wage from $7.50 to $8.75.

The Portland Press Herald (http://bit.ly/1PKFcnh ) reported Portland’s Green Independent Party is gathering signatures for a petition to force a referendum on a $15 minimum wage.