Aurora City Council puts sales tax on the ballot

Aurora voters will be asked to renew a one-half cent sales tax at the next election. The Aurora City Council voted to approve an ordinance putting the tax on the ballot during their meeting on Thursday, Dec. 19, following the second reading of the ordinance. The first reading was held during the council’s meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 10.
According to unofficial minutes from the meeting, City Manager Jon Holmes stated he’d had meetings with several citizens who were concerned that the city was raising the sales tax. He said there is no sales tax to be raised, and said he is scheduling meetings, January through March, to discuss with citizens the current sales tax and the need for it to be renewed.
The council also passed an ordinance which repeals all ordinances “of a general and permanent nature” before Feb. 4, 2019, with certain exceptions, including ordinances “promising or guaranteeing payment of money for the City,” “Ordinances levying taxes or making special assessments”, “Ordinances granting franchising or rights to any person, firm or corporation”, and “Ordinances annexing property to the City,” among others. There was a total of 17 exceptions listed in the language of the ordinance, which appeared on the meeting agenda. The ordinance also does not revive any ordinance repealed earlier.
The ordinance was approved after its second reading during the meeting; the first reading was held during the council’s meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 10.
The full ordinance and meeting agenda can be viewed on the city’s website at www.aurora-cityhall.org.