The Denver City Council hit the brakes on Mayor Mike Johnston’s proposal to increase the sales tax to fund affordable housing development.
The proposal, which was floated earlier this month, would add an extra 0.5% to the city’s current effective 8.81% sales tax rate. Johnston, a Democrat, claimed this new tax would raise an estimated $100 million a year.
“We are very focused on the outcomes we can deliver for Denver here,” said Johnston in his announcement of the proposal. “So, the goal is that this allows us to build or to bring on 44,000 additional units, which is what the estimate is (for) the total gap we have to fill over the next 10 years.”
According to an Axios report, a council committee postponed moving Johnston’s proposal forward, stating that more details on the plan was needed – specifically, regarding how a sales tax hike would impact Denver’s residents. The Denver City Council needs to vote on the proposal for its inclusion on the November ballot for voter approval or rejection.
If approved, the sales tax rate would face its eighth increase in 10 years.
One of Johnston’s predecessors came told Axios he was “disappointed” in Johnston’s plan. Wellington Webb, who served as Denver’s mayor from 1991 to 2003, stated that having a sales tax now could prevent another proposed sales tax for funding the Denver Health hospital, adding that “the public is getting tired of taxes.”
Photo: Mayor Mike Johnston (left) with friend, courtesy of the mayor’s Facebook page.
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why does the working class citizens have to keep funding those who most like don’t want to work or came from over the border? The rental class might over power the actual homeowner class someday.
The American Dream of owning one’s own home is becoming a huge challenge as wages have not kept up with 20% increased inflation in the past 4 years, major interest rate hikes, income, property and sales taxes keep increasing. Home Ownership has been the major source of financial wealth building for decades. When governments run out of monies, they just keep raising taxes, borrowing from Peter to pay Paul, and printing money which has no real value. When people are making monies, they donate to help others instead of governments deciding to tax their monies to do as they choose. Politicians love using other people’s monies to look like the Good guy for vote getting.. instead of being representative to ALL the people.
As a Denver native and current city resident I can tell you that I’m sick and tired of Mike and his woke liberalist agenda. His big push to get homeless encampments off the streets does not appear to be working. Furthermore he’s done nothing to address the many issues contributing to the homeless problem which include rampant drug abuse and an untenable number of migrants from Venezuela who essentially have no place to live and/or work
Democrats will ruin this country. Now the America is no longer the great land in the world. We shall encourage and help the poor to work not just give food and house. Give them the tool to fish is much better than just giving them fishes.
The reason some are against THIS tax is because it might hinder another TAX they have planned. No wonder the middle class is struggling. Gov just keeps spending other people’s money – good example is the “student loan pay off”. The “gov” has no money only the taxpayers have money SO they are just transferring the loan payments from the haves that went to college to the have nots that did not go to college or chose to pay loans themselves. Why not pay for blue collar workers tools? That would make more sense. If Denver keeps voting they way they have been, they have no one but the voters to blame for the increases in costs.
Denver (and all of Colorado) has universal mail-in and drop box ballots. It is not as far left as they like to tell you, but we are handcuffed. Vote in person with ID and things will change.
Democrats have one universal policy…..tax and spend. This WILL destroy the United States, this WILL bankrupt the country, 76% of current tax receipts are going to pay just the interest on the national debt. Almost $35T now, will be $36T by the time the next President is sworn in, this is not sustainable and maybe breaking the country is what their end goal actually is. Denver was once a great, beautiful city, downtown used to be beautiful, it’s a disaster now. Democrats destroy everything they touch.