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By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Following the defeat of a similar measure in March, a pair of City Councilors are reviving a nearly half-percent sales tax proposal to fund neighborhood improvements and city services. The measure would ask Burqueños to pay slightly more in exchange for neighborhood infrastructure upgrades and higher pay for city workers. This time, voters will make the final decision at the ballot box instead of being approved by the council.
Sponsored by Council President Klarissa Peña and Councilor Brook Bassan, O-26-42 and its companion R-26-43 would send a 0.4875% municipal gross receipts tax increase to voters, matching the rate of a measure that failed in March. Unlike the earlier proposal, introduced by Councilors Joaquín Baca and Bassan, which could have taken effect without voter approval, the new version would leave the decision to voters on the November general election ballot. According to the legislation, revenue from the ‘Community Enhancement and Local Investment Tax’ would be split evenly — half for city operations and employee pay, half for capital projects across all nine council districts. Bassan told KRQE it would generate an estimated $113 million a year. The proposal divides project funding into 10 shares, with one share for each council district and one for citywide projects. It also requires projects to begin within six months of bond issuance. The proposal includes a 21-year sunset clause, meaning the tax would automatically expire after 21 years.
The proposal’s next stop is the June 15 City Council meeting, where councilors will decide whether to place the measure on the November ballot.
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