Denver City Council Advances Mayor’s Affordable Denver Sales Tax Proposal

DENVER — Denver voters are one step away from seeing a proposal on the November ballot that calls for them to increase the city’s sales tax on affordable housing.

Denver City Council members worked late into the night Monday reviewing Mayor Mike Johnston’s Affordable Denver plan.

The mayor wants to send a ballot measure to voters asking them to raise the city’s sales tax by 0.5 percent.

“We believe it is possible to build a Denver where everyone who works in this city can afford to live in this city,” Johnston said.

If voters approve the increase, Johnston says it will bring in $100 million annually to help the city create or preserve up to 44,000 units of affordable housing.

On Tuesday, Denver7 spoke with a group of clergy leaders from the Interfaith Alliance of Colorado who support the plan.

“When people are struggling, they tend to turn to faith communities for support,” said Shara Smith, CEO of the Interfaith Alliance of Colorado. “And so, in that way, our faith communities, our pastors, our clergy in general, are in place. front lines in knowing what the challenges are and what the struggles are.”

Clergy leaders say they have seen an increase in the number of people seeking housing help, which has put a strain on their resources.

“We don’t have the volunteers we had after COVID,” said Rev. Dr. Thomas Mayes with Living Water Christian Center and Elders Circle of the Interfaith Alliance of Colorado. “We don’t have the finances we used to have. before COVID, but we’re still trying to do everything we can to be there for them and be a resource.”

The Rev. Leta Behrens, with Our Savior’s Lutheran Church and a member of the Interfaith Alliance of Colorado Elders Circle, said the Affordable Denver proposal will have an impact on the city.

“I serve and work with communities in northern Colorado, so not directly in Denver. However, we have had a significant increase in people coming from Denver who have not been able to find a place to live,” Behrens said. “And so this affordable Denver plan. , I think it’s a great step toward embracing the fact that there are other ways we can start supporting our community.”

Still, some city council members say a new tax is the last thing Denver residents need.

“How many more taxes and fees are we going to put on people here before we finally get to affordable prices?” asked Denver City Councilman Kevin Flynn.

Some council members are deeply concerned about how quickly the plan was developed.

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Council members considered several amendments to the plan Monday night. Amendments are usually resolved before bills reach the full council.

“We’re accelerating this at breakneck speed,” said Council Member Stacie Gilmore. “This is not good governance.”

Some council members say a tax that could raise $1 billion over a decade should be given more careful consideration, especially since the plan does not include a provision to set an expiration date for the tax.

“Let that amount of money sink in for a minute, because it’s more money than my mind can handle,” said Council Member Amanda Sawyer.

Despite these concerns, the board advanced the proposal by an 8-5 vote.

Denver City Council Advances Mayor’s Affordable Denver Sales Tax Proposal

Council members Gonzales-Gutierrez, Hinds, Kashmann, Lewis, Parady, Romero Campbell, Sandoval and Watson voted in favor of the proposal.

Council members Alvidrez, Flynn, Gilmore, Sawyer and Torres voted against the proposal.

It’s the first of two votes they must take before the proposal can go to voters.

Johnston issued a statement thanking council members for moving the plan forward.

“The opportunity to have affordable housing for all Denverites is one step closer to the November ballot,” Johnston said. “Housing costs are a significant concern for the vast majority of our residents, and the teachers, nurses, seniors and servers who make our city work are struggling to keep up. The creation of this fund is a critical step in ensuring that Denver is a city for everyone, not just the wealthy, and we are grateful for the Council’s partnership in this mission.”

The Council is expected to take a final vote on Monday, although some changes could be added that could delay a vote.

The last meeting council members can refer measures to the November ballot is August 26.

If the proposal goes to voters, it would be the second measure on the ballot to ask them to raise the city’s sales tax rate.

The other ballot measure asks voters to raise the sales tax rate by 0.34 percent to benefit Denver Health.