(Image source from: bizjournals.com)

Denver:
Although leaders of Denver Metro Chamber of commerce remain a week away from deciding, how big a sales- tax hike they would seek on the November statewide ballot, for transportation needs, Colorado legislative leaders are already, starting to split in to two camps

One particular group says that they wanted to support whatever comes from the chamber, and another that says it is likely to back a non taxing measure from the Independence Institute.

Accordingly as one might guess, the division is largely denominational.

Many other Democrats, this week expressed appreciation for the chamber’s efforts, as part of a larger coalition to move forward a sale tax hike, that would fund state highway expansions, local government roadway needs and multi modal transit to the tune of between $4.1 billion and $8.4 billion.

The chamber has submitted a handful of ballot options, and President Kelly Brough, said on Friday at the group’s annual post session, state of the state luncheon, that it is very much committed to asking for a increase of half cent, 62 cents or a full penny to address the issue.

Mr. Brough told the crowd of about 700 people at the Hilton Denver City Center“ We have to be about solving real problems in Colorado, not pretending to solve them,” he also added saying that “We’ve done this before. We’ve taken the policy reins of our state and said ‘When we want something, we’ll go get it.”

But there is an increasing chance that if chamber leaders collect enough signatures to their measures up on the ballot, they won’t be the only ones offering a transportation plan.

President of free market Independence Institute, Jon Caldara, said on Monday that his organization will begin collecting signatures on its proposal, Fix our Damn Roads, that would ask voters to approve $3.5 billion in bond sales for highway improvements and would require the legislature to set aside $350 million per year in its general fund to repay those bonds.

By Lokesh