By Kyla Pearce | Denver Gazette
Aurora lawmakers on Monday night decided to keep a promise made to businesses that they would repeal the occupational privilege tax, which taxes businesses for each employee.
The decision came after a series of meetings during which councilmembers went back and forth on the issue and ended up in arguments with each other over whether they should keep the promise, made last year, or go back on it and keep the tax to fund new fire stations.
The occupational privilege tax collects $4 monthly from companies for each employee. Employers and employees split the dues, paying $2 respectively. The tax began in 1986 to support street maintenance, police and fire services.