PUEBLO — There is a growing list of ballot questions asking Pueblo voters for tax increases. Pueblo County Commissioners just okayed asking voters to renew the mill levy paying for libraries, increase the tax on marijuana sales, and add a sales tax to pay for a new county jail.
The library question is necessary because the previous library funding approved by voters expires. Voters are basically asked to extend a mill levy that has been in place for years.
The marijuana questions raised the sales tax rate from 3.5% to 6%. “It’s simply a tax restructure to bring our rates into better alignment with the rest of the state of Colorado,” said Pueblo County Commissioner, Garrison Ortiz.
The proposed public safety tax that would pay for a new jail, puts in place a .39% sales tax. Previous attempts asking voters to help fund a new jail have been voted down. Pueblo County’s Sheriff and County Commissioners will work to help the public better understand why it is necessary. "This is a piece of infrastructure that's been insufficient for decades,” said Ortiz, “with some of the bills passed through the legislature and our increasing capacity pressure, we're running out of time to get this done."
