Come November, Denver voters will decide whether to approve a sales tax increase in order to pay for affordable housing.

The Denver City Council on Monday voted to put the proposal on the November ballot.

The measure, which was proposed by Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, would increase the city’s sales tax by 0.5%. Supporters estimate the sales tax increase would generate $100 million per year for affordable housing.

“This proposal would be used to help close the growing housing gap and create more housing opportunities at all levels, from rental assistance and new permanently affordable units to down payment assistance and mortgage assistance,” the City of Denver said in a statement Monday.

City officials said the money would also help with accessory dwelling units (ADUs) for low/middle-income households, increase investment in mixed-income developments, and preserve existing income-restricted homeownership and rental units.

The proposal received skepticism from members of the Denver City Council’s Safety, Housing, Education and Homelessness Committee, but was ultimately passed on to the full council. During Monday’s city council meeting, some members questioned the timing of the proposal.

“At a time when the cost of living is soaring and families are already burdened with rising property taxes, new sidewalk fees, new trash fees, this is not the moment to impose another fee,” said Councilmember Flor Alvidrez for District 7.

The proposal faced several amendments before a final vote was taken, including a 40-year sunset clause.

“I will say at $100 million a year for 40 years, that’s $4 billion,” said Councilmember Amanda Sawyer for District 5. “So if we can’t solve this in a generation-and-a-half and $4 billion, we can’t solve this.”

According to the City of Denver, recent polling revealed that 90% of Denverites believe the cost of housing is a significant concern. The city also found that it could be short more than 44,000 affordable housing units for low and middle-income people within 10 years, without intervention.

“The heaviest burden on the largest majority of Denverites is housing,” said Councilmember Paul Kashmann for District 6. “And if we can make a dent in easing that, I think it will pale in the increase in the sales tax that we’re asking people to spend.”

The proposal also includes a provision that would allow it to be amended within one year of its passage if needed.

This will be the second measure on the ballot asking Denver voters to increase the city’s sales tax rate. The other ballot measure asks voters to increase the sales tax rate by 0.34% to benefit Denver Health.

Former Oregon Duck quarterback Bo Nix is off to a hot start to his NFL rookie campaign. In his first two preseason games, Nix has stood out as a great option for the Denver Broncos as starting quarterback.

Nix is catching the attention of legendary NFL coach Bill Belichick. Belichick, who has won six Super Bowls and is now a football analyst, joined the Pat McAfee Show to discuss the duo of Nix and Denver coach Sean Payton.

McAfee asked: are Nix and Payton the perfect fit?

“Well, it looks like it,” Belichick said. “Sean’s a great quarterback coach, and he’ll have those guys ready to play, and he’ll tailor the offense around where the quarterback is…

In his two preseason games, Nix has pushed the ball downfield and looked comfortable in the pocket. Last Sunday in a 27-2 victory over the Green Bay Packers, the former Duck completed 8 of 9 passes for 80 yards and a touchdown.

Nix’s experience is coming in handy in a complicated offense. The most experienced quarterback from the 2024 draft, Nix’s 61 career starts broke the NCAA record for most all-time by a FBS quarterback.

“Sean’s offense is a very fast offense,” Belichick said. “They don’t go no huddle, but they substitute fast. They call the play. They get up the line of scrimmage. And once the snap everything’s moving fast as fast as anybody in the league so there’s a lot of mental processing and decision making that has to take place in a hurry.”

Payton has yet to name a starting quarterback, as the competition rolls on between Nix and veteran Jarrett Stidham.

“I think you go with him when you feel like he’s ready to go,” Belichick said. “What I don’t think you want to do is put Bo in there, and then after three or four games, find out you need to take him out and put Spitt back in there and go that way. I don’t think that would work. I think that just creates a lot of confusion, and I really don’t think that’s what you want to do.”

“If you’re sure Bo Nix is the guy, then you go with him, but you don’t turn back.”

Nix and the Broncos have one final preseason game on Sunday vs. the Arizona Cardinals at 1:30 p.m. PT. Nix’s preseason stats are impressive. He has thrown 23-for-30 on 205 passing yards and two touchdowns. Nix has also ran for 29 yards and holds a passer rating of 121.5. The Broncos have scored points on six of seven possessions with the former Duck under center this preseason.

“(Nix) has delivered the ball well,” Belichick said. “He’s got it out on time. He sees the field well. He’s done a good job of taking care of the ball. He’s done a good job in the expenditure plays and making good decisions with the ball in his hands under some pressure. But, again, it’s against very vanilla defenses (in preseason).”

Nix, Denver’s No. 12-overall selection in the2024 NFL Draft is fresh off his best season yet. The 23-year-old broke the NCAA single-season record for completion percentage in 2023 at 77.45, completing a whopping 364 of 470 passes. 

“That Oregon offense (last year) – whenever Bo was running it, it was like (snaps fingers) humming – like a tribute to him,” McAfee said.

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MORE: Has Bo Nix Locked Up Starting Quarterback Job For Denver Broncos?

MORE: Oregon Ducks’ Troy Franklin Falling on Denver Broncos Depth Chart Amid Struggles

It’s called the Denver Polo Club, but it’s nestled in a rural part of Douglas County, and it’s working to make an old-world sport accessible to everyone.

“You drive into the gates, you really feel like you’re not in the middle of the city; you feel like you’re up in the mountains, you feel like you’re in a playground,” said Denver Polo Club owner Erica Gandomcar-Sachs.

Gandomcar-Sachs’s parents founded the club nearly 40 years ago, bringing teams and celebrities from around the world to Colorado.
Now, she wants to usher in a new era.

“We want to create like an old-world sporting club. Somewhere you can come and do falconry, you can play polo, equestrian sports, clay shooting, polo jumping, dressage, western, anything horse you can imagine; that’s what we want to create,” said Gandomcar-Sachs.

 While Colorado isn’t much of an “old-world” destination, Gandomcar-Sachs believes there’s a market for polo.

“It’s modern-day cowboy. People come to experience the outdoors, horses, and just keep it a playground. We want to keep it open for everybody,” said Gandomcar-Sachs.

All levels are welcome, and you don’t need to have your own horse. You’re also welcome to just watch. Gandomcar-Sachs says you can customize how involved you are based on time and financial availability.

“All you have to do is show up, and we can provide everything else. Everything from helmet, mallets, we even have boots,” said Gandomcar-Sachs.

“It’s just a great atmosphere, great vibes here,” said polo amateur B Gottwald.

Gottwald first tried out polo at the club four years ago, and now he can’t get enough.

“We usually play with two pros on a team and two amateurs. It’s four on four. The game today was really close in the first half, and then the other team played a little bit harder and executed their plays a little bit better, and hats off to them; they played a good game,” said Gottwald.

Gottwald even brings his young daughter, Gracie, to play.

“Oh yeah, she’s got her own mallet; she’s playing,” said Gottwald.

He encourages anyone who likes team sports or horses to give polo a try.

“Anybody who’s been a rancher, anybody who’s ridden horses, everybody should play polo,” said Gottwald.

 “Polo, to me, when you’re done playing, you’re emotionally, physically, and mentally exhausted,” said Gandomcar-Sachs. “That teamwork and that connection between you and your horse and you and your teammates, that’s what I fell in love with.”

Gandomcar-Sachs hopes more people will try the sport, as she works to make the Sedalia club an old-world destination for the entire metro area.

Ticketed events at the Denver Polo Club start at just $35. The final “Sunday Funday” for this season will be September 15. It will be the last time the public can attend as spectators, but players will continue until the end of October. For more information and a schedule of events, visit denverpoloclub.com.