Voters will have their say on the largest dedicated sales tax in Denver’s history in November after the City Council on Monday referred a 0.5% tax hike aimed at greatly increasing the amount of affordable housing in the city to the ballot.
The 13-member council voted 9-4 to send the tax to voters. Now it is up to the residents of a city that has quickly become one of the least affordable housing markets in America to decide whether or not to add that half-percent on top of the city’s existing 8.81% effective sales tax rate.
“Now is the time to act,” Councilman Darrell Watson said before voting with the majority.