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Carbondale votes for tobacco tax

Carbondale elections graphic

Carbondale voters overwhelmingly approved a cigarette and tobacco tax within town limits in Tuesday’s municipal election.

Also on the ballot Tuesday were three town board of trustee seats, but the three incumbents ran unopposed.

Lani Kitching (851 votes), Ben Bohmfalk (890 votes), and Marty Silverstein (1,046 votes) were each reelected for another term.



The tobacco tax, similar to other measures other taxes municipalities have approved in the past few years, will dramatically increase the cost of cigarettes and nicotine products.

Most of the towns and municipalities in the region approved a $3.20 tax per pack of cigarettes that rises 10 cents a year until it reaches $4.



But Carbondale asked voters to approve the full $4 tax per pack, along with a 40% tax on all other products containing nicotine, including cigars and e-cigarettes.

Smoking and nicotine cessation products like gums and patches are not affected.

The tax question won with 924 votes in favor, and 381 opposed. The tax takes effect July 1.

Under the state’s TABOR Amendment, taxing authorities must tell voters how much they expect to raise from the tax, and Carbondale put the upper limit at $700,000 annually. Town Manager Jay Harrington said that number is much higher than the town actually expects to make from the tax.


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