Manitou Springs council to weigh endorsement of 4.03-point tax increase
Ballot Issue 2A would raise the tax on ticket sales and admissions fees from 5% to 9.03%; the city estimates it would generate $1.128 million in its first full fiscal year.
Manitou Springs City Council is scheduled to consider an endorsement of Ballot Issue 2A on Oct. 6. The measure would raise the city’s excise tax on ticket sales and admissions fees from 5% to 9.03%, a 4.03-percentage-point increase. The meeting agenda lists the proposed endorsement for consideration.
The endorsement would be separate from the measure’s referral to voters. The city election notice lists 2A on the Nov. 3 ballot and estimates the increase would generate $1.128 million in the first full fiscal year, beginning Jan. 1, 2027. The measure does not dedicate the revenue to a specific project or service.
The proposed resolution says the added revenue would help preserve community services as the city faces a sharp drop in marijuana-tax revenue. It argues that visitors should help pay for services they use, including street maintenance, parking enforcement, fire and police staffing, ambulance service and public restrooms. The resolution also argues that increasing the tax would be preferable to raising property or general sales taxes, which it says are primarily paid by residents.