Question 304 on the Denver ballot asked voters whether to lower the city’s sales and use tax and cap it at 4.5%.
DENVER — Denver voters on Tuesday were voting against Initiated Ordinance 304, which asked whether to lower the city’s sales and use tax and cap it at 4.5%.
A YES vote was to decrease the sales tax from 4.81% to 4.5% and keep it at that rate. If in the future, voters passed a special sales tax, the city would have to adjust the existing tax to maintain the total at 4.5%.
A NO vote was to keep the city’s sales tax at 4.81%.
Click here for more election results.
Proponents maintained that a sales tax is a tax on poverty because people with lower incomes end up contributing a larger percentage of their income to sales taxes. If adopted, this measure would reduce the city’s sales tax by 6.5% and would “tell the city of Denver to find another way” of funding essential services.
Opponents said the measure would result in an immediate $80 million cut in the city budget and would threaten critical services and jobs. They said it would hurt the city’s ability to repair roads, maintain parks and protect against crime, and could force the city to cut services in areas such as homelessness, mental health and preschool.
For more election results, go to 9news.com/elections.
RELATED: MSU Denver professor wants people to pay attention to school board elections
RELATED: ‘It didn’t ask you for facts, it asks you for comments’: Denver Voter Information Guide not based on facts
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Politics
MORE WAYS TO GET 9NEWS
Subscribe to our daily 9NEWSLETTER
Download the 9NEWS APP
iTunes: http://on9news.tv/itunes
Google Play: http://on9news.tv/1lWnC5n
HOW TO ADD THE 9NEWS APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KUSA.
For both Apple TV and Fire TV, search for “9news” to find the free app to add to your account. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon.