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Pueblo council hears options to raise revenue — sales-tax bump and food tax among ideas for ballot
Summary
City finance staff presented options including raising the local sales tax base, taxing groceries and stepped increases to temper sales-tax volatility. Council members debated affordability for residents, economic development alternatives and agreed staff has time to prepare ballot language by August if council chooses to pursue.
On Jan. 6, 2025, the Pueblo City Council received a presentation from city finance staff on options to increase municipal revenue to address a projected budget shortfall. The presentation outlined raising the local sales tax base, pursuing a new sales tax on groceries (food for home consumption) and other enforcement and compliance measures.
Valerie Colombo, who led the presentation, said Pueblo’s local sales tax rate that funds the general fund is 3% and that the city’s combined total tax rate is about 7.6%. She told council that a small incremental increase to the local base would generate additional revenue and that taxing groceries — a policy used by many Colorado home-rule cities — would produce steadier revenue than volatile retail sales taxes. Colombo presented modeled revenue scenarios showing a…
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