Police Department
Reference: Public Safety Tax Resolution
To: Mayor Gregory Mills and Members of City Council
Through: Michael P. Martinez, City Manager
Prepared By: Matt Domenico, Chief of Police
Alicia Calderón, City Attorney
Date Prepared: August 15, 2023
PURPOSE
To provide the City Council with information and ballot language to refer a proposed .15% sales and use tax increase to fund public safety needs.
BACKGROUND
Public safety is among the most critical services municipalities provide and Brighton is no exception. Keeping pace with the growth and increased demand on law enforcement requires an ongoing investment of resources. Competing with the rest of the city for funding and resources through traditional funding mechanisms has impacted the department’s ability to keep up with demand and provide the required levels of service to the community.
The intended use of funds collected through a dedicated, non-expiring .15% public safety sales tax increase would be primarily to fund new positions in the Police Department. Additional staff is required to provide the level of service the Brighton community needs and expects, and to keep pace with the rapid growth seen in recent years. Additional staff would increase the capacity of the Brighton Police Department to be proactive in its approach to addressing crime, traffic, public order, and quality of life concerns. Some of the new positions funded would include additional patrol and traffic officers, Task Force officers, and a neighborhood impact team that can be deployed to address pervasive crime issues in the community.
Funds collected because of a proposed .15% public safety tax will not be used to supplant the existing Police Department budget, nor would it be used to offset planned funding or staffing models for the Police Department.
FUNDING OPTIONS
Staff has reviewed and is proposing a dedicated sales and use tax increase of .15%, expected to generate up to $2.75 million dollars of funding for public safety. This increase would bring the sales tax in the City of Brighton (Adams County) to 8.65%. This increase would result in an additional 15 cents of sales tax on a $100.00 purchase.
Between April 26 and May 10, 2023, the City of Brighton, in partnership with Magellan Strategies, sent a survey to voters to gauge support for a .15% sales tax increase dedicated to public safety. This survey indicated a majority of City of Brighton voters likely to participate in the 2023 election would support the proposed sales tax increase.
The City’s total sales tax rate as compared to other neighboring communities is provided below:
* Municipality resides primarily in Weld County which does not impose a County sales tax.
Municipality also does not participate in RTD or SCFD special districts.
The City’s sales tax rate summary is provided below:
Ballot Initiative Timeline
Resolution to Approve Ballot Question August 15th
Ballot Content Certification September 5th
Election Day November 7th
CRITERIA BY WHICH COUNCIL MUST CONSIDER THE ITEM
None
FINANCIAL IMPACT
N/A
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends approval of the resolution and the following ballot language:
SHALL THE CITY OF BRIGHTON TAXES BE INCREASED NOT MORE THAN $2.75 MILLION DOLLARS ANNUALLY IN THE FIRST FISCAL YEAR OF COLLECTIONS (2024) AND BY WHATEVER AMOUNTS ARE RAISED ANNUALLY THEREAFTER BY AN ADDITIONAL SALES AND USE TAX OF 0.15 PERCENT (OR AN INCREASE OF APPROXIMATELY 15 CENTS PER ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS SPENT), COMMENCING JANUARY 1, 2024 TO FUND PUBLIC SAFETY, INCLUDING ADDITIONAL POLICE OFFICERS AND EQUIPMENT, WITH ALL TAX REVENUES AND INVESTMENT EARNINGS THEREON TO BE COLLECTED, RETAINED, AND SPENT AS A VOTER-APPROVED REVENUE CHANGE PURSUANT TO ARTICLE X, SECTION 20 OF THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION?
ATTACHMENTS:
⮚ Presentation
⮚ Resolution