Denver voters will see a request on their November ballots to allow the city to keep money raised by the 0.15 percent sales tax for preschool programs.
More precisely, the city wants to keep the money raised by a 0.03 percent increase in that tax -- it was 0.12 percent before -- that voters approved in 2014. Because of how well the economy is doing, the tax has raised more money than expected.
The city would like to keep the money instead of finding a way to refund it to taxpayers. Under the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, Denver needs voter approval to keep the money. During the recession, when tax revenues were lower, the city had to reduce the subsidy and not fund the program during the summer to make up for lost revenue. The city has since restored the full benefit.
The tax pays for the Denver Preschool Program, which subsidizes the cost of preschool for low- and middle-income families at qualifying preschools in the last year before kindergarten.
This measure is referred from the Denver City Council, which voted Monday to place it on the ballot.
