Denver Mayor Opposes Slaughterhouse Ban, Supports Sales Tax Measures | Government

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston announced Friday that he will not support fur and slaughterhouse bans, although he supports a sales tax increase aimed at generating $100 million for “affordable” housing.

The mayor laid out his positions Friday on several state and local measures that will appear on the city’s ballot this November.

Initiated ordinances 308 and 309 drew criticism from livestock groups, including the National Western Stockshow and the Colorado Livestock Association.

The group behind it, Pro-Animal Denver, claimed it didn’t know the city had a single slaughterhouse until after it collected signatures. Employees at Superior Farms — the state’s largest lamb processing facility — say the proposal unfairly targets their company.

Johnston, a former educator and principal, also opposes Amendment 80, which would amend the state constitution to say all K-12 students have the right to school choice. The measure says parents have the right to direct their children’s education and that school choice includes neighborhood, charter, private and home schools, open enrollment options and any future innovations in education.

The measure drew support from School Choice for Every Child, which registered in May but has not reported any contributions since September 15. No on 80 has not yet registered as an issue committee.

Johnston did not explain why he opposes the three measures.

With what he calls a “high-profile presidential race,” Johnston encouraged all residents to fill out their entire ballot, adding that it’s “more important than ever” to do so.

“Denver voters will make critical decisions on a dozen city issues this November,” he said. “We have a chance to make transformative change in the city through this election, and I urge every Denverite to join me in filling out all six pages to make your voice heard.”

Johnston is expected to support two measures that would raise Denver’s 8.81 percent sales tax rate by 0.34 points and 0.5 points, respectively.

The first and smaller of the two is a tax rate increase that will raise about $70 million for Denver Health, the hospital system and trauma center that has not been profitable for years.

The larger of the two tax measures is a 0.5 point increase that Johnston introduced with the support of several city councilors. The new revenue stream, which will stop after 40 years, will raise about $100 million annually for “affordable” housing projects. It has become a contentious issue on the City Council, with members worried whether Denver voters could absorb the sales tax hikes.

If both are approved, Denver’s sales tax rate would rise to 9.65 percent, making it one of the highest-taxing major cities on Colorado’s Front Range.

Here’s Johnston’s position on 17 issues appearing on Denver’s November ballot:

The elections take place on November 5.