Colorado: Aurora City Council approves 1% sales tax hike for recreational marijuana

AURORA |  The Aurora City Council  on Monday increased the special sales tax for recreational marijuana products by 1%. 

The estimated annual $1 million in revenue from the increase would allow the city to “backfill” programs that lost funding after Aurora voters ended the Photo Red Light program in 2018.

The city council was able to approve the tax increase without voter approval because Aurora’s original recreational marijuana laws approved by voters allows for a range of pot taxes.

The tax increase, sponsored by at-large Councilwoman Angela Lawson, divided the lawmakers, eventually ending in a 5-4 vote. Some against the measure have said recreational marijuana businesses should be treated like any other business in the city and that they should not be taxed disproportionately from other businesses.

Council members Lawson, Alison Coombs, Nicole Johnston, Juan Marcano and Crystal Murillo voted “yes” on the increase, which brings the sales tax to 5%.

With the new revenue, city officials estimate that programs and services that once received Photo Red Light funds — like Aurora Mental Health Center, Gateway Domestic Violence Services and Mile High Behavioral Healthcare — would no longer require budget reductions and some budgets could even be increased.

Read more at  https://sentinelcolorado.com/news/metro/aurora-city-council-approves-1-sales-tax-hike-for-recreational-marijuana/

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