Denver "College Affordability" Sales Tax, Measure 2A (November 2015)
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| Measure info Amount: 0.08% increase |
A measure to increase the city sales tax rate to fund college scholarships was on the ballot for voters in Denver, Colorado, on November 3, 2015. It was defeated by a margin of 2.84 percent.
If approved, the measure would have increased the Denver city sales tax by 0.08 percent, bringing it from 7.65 percent to 7.73 percent. The added tax revenue would have funded a program that was designed to help Denver students afford college. The fund would have reimbursed nonprofit colleges and universities that provide financial assistance, either through scholarships or student-loan debt relief.[1]
To qualify for the aid provided by the fund, students would have had to be age 25 or younger, have lived in the city for at least three years, demonstrate financial need, enroll in a Colorado school and maintain a minimum GPA. Organizations that provided the aid to students would have been reimbursed for 75 percent of what they spent, with an annual funding cap of $4,000 per student.[2]
Election results
| Denver, Measure 2A | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
 No | 61,679 | 51.42% | ||
| Yes | 58,271 | 48.58% | ||
- Election results from Denver Elections Office
Text of measure
Ballot question
The following question appeared on the ballot:[3]
| “ |
Shall Denver Sales and Use Taxes be increased $10.6 million annually, commencing January 1, 2016, and by whatever additional amounts are raised annually thereafter through December 31, 2025, from a eigh one-hundredths of one percent (.08%) sales and use tax rate (about a penny on a ten dollar purchase), to increase college enrollment and degree completion by Denver residents who qualify for needs-based financial aid and are earning a degree from a public or not-for-profit college, university, community college or technical school in Colorado through:
Providing that the tax expires in ten years, that no more than 10% of funds generated be spent on administrative costs, that a report for the program be submitted annually to the mayor, city council, city auditor, and the public; and shall the revenues from these increased taxes be collected and spent in each fiscal year by Denver without regard to any expenditure, revenue-raising, or other limitation contained within Article X, Section 20 of the Colorado Constitution or any other law. [4] |
” |
Resolution
The full text of the resolution calling for this measure is available here.
Support
Supporters
- Michael B. Hancock, Denver Mayor
- Kendra Black, City Council
- Jolon Clark, City Council
- Stacie Gilmore, City Council
- Christopher Herndon, City Council
- Paul Kashmann, City Council
- Paul D. López, City Council
- Wayne New, City Council
- Deborah Ortega, City Council[2]
Arguments in favor
Supporters of the measure argued that it would help students that were struggling financially, particularly students from lower-income families, fund their college education. They contended that the measure would cost very little—less than one cent per ten dollars—and could have a positive impact on the city and the community.[1]
Among others, Mayor Michael Hancock came out in support of the measure, calling it “unequivocally an economic imperative” for the city. The mayor was among a group of local figures that launched a campaign that aimed to persuade voters to approve the tax.[5]
On September 24, 2015, Mayor Michael Hancock advocated for Measure 2A to a crowd at a media event in front of Denver West High School:
| “ |
This is an opportunity for us as a city to say we believe in our future, we believe in our need to develop our workforce, and we believe in the importance of making sure you can pursue your dreams in higher education or a certificate program.[4] |
” |
| —Mayor Michael Hancock[5] | ||
Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Kelly Brough joined Mayor Hancock in supporting the measure:
| “ |
Our economic need for a knowledge-based workforce means we have to stop saying this is someone else’s responsibility and accept that a failure to educate our kids effectively puts our entire economy at risk. The truth is, our smart and healthy workforce is our competitive advantage in this market.[4] |
” |
| —Kelly Brough, Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce President and CEO[5] | ||
Deputy Mayor and city Chief Financial Officer Cary Kennedy also endorsed the enactment of Measure 2A when speaking to the city council on August 28, 2015:
| “ |
I guess my message to you all is you do have the capacity to go ahead and move forward with this with confidence that it won't place any kind of tax burden on city residents and shoppers. It won't change what they're used to paying in taxes and it also won't disadvantage the city in respect to our competitiveness.[4] |
” |
| —Deputy Mayor Cary Kennedy[1] | ||
Councilwoman Kendra Black agreed with the deputy mayor, arguing that the measure was worth its cost:
| “ |
I don't think anyone is suggesting that it's going to fix our whole state, but it's something we can do at the local level to really impact our city and our workforce. I think if we can give someone a chance with less than a penny on $10, I think it's something worth investing.[4] |
” |
| —Councilwoman Kendra Black[1] | ||
Opposition
Opponents
- Rafael Espinoza, City Council
- Kevin Flynn, City Council
- Robin Kniech, City Council
- Mary Beth Susman, City Council[2]
Arguments against
Opponents of the measure believed that funding college education should be outside the city's purview, and should be left to state and federal governments instead. Some opponents also feared that this measure could set a precedent that would lead to the city's taxpayers funding other services that were previously provided primarily by state and federal governments.[1]
Others were concerned that this measure would not address what they saw as the root problem of rising tuition costs, and that merely helping students pay these costs would encourage educational institutions to continue to raise tuitions.[5]
Councilman Kevin Flynn was quoted by The Colorado Statesman speaking out against the measure:
| “ |
I do not believe it’s a municipal responsibility, first and foremost. There are a lot of problems we could solve by adding fractions of a cent to the sales tax here and there, but they’re not our job. ... If we continue to meet the increasing demands of higher and higher tuition … we’re never going to provide the groundwork for addressing those higher costs, they’re just going to go higher and higher. It’s like fighting obesity by throwing an all-you-can-eat buffet.[4] |
” |
| —Councilman Kevin Flynn[5] | ||
Councilwoman Mary Beth Susman echoed Flynn's sentiments on the measure during a city council meeting on August 28, 2015:
| “ |
There is no (higher) educational institution over which we have any authority. None. We can't expect the citizens of Denver to fix the problems of out-of-control tuition costs and low-retention and completion rates. Our state and federal government have that responsibility, as do the colleges themselves.[4] |
” |
| —Councilwoman Mary Beth Susman[1] | ||
Path to the ballot
On August 28, 2015, the Denver City Council voted in favor of putting Measure 2A before voters following a lengthy hearing and public debate. The final vote was a 8-4 in favor of advancing the measure to the November ballot.[1]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Denver College Affordability Sales Tax Measure 2A. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Colorado Statesman, "Denver moves ahead with college affordability ballot measure," August 28, 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Colorado Independent, "Denver City Council sends higher-education tax hike to voters," August 25, 2015
- ↑ Denver Elections Division, "Sample Ballot: City and County of Denver," accessed October 8, 2015
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Colorado Statesman, "Denver college-affordability ballot measure launches campaign," September 24, 2015
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