Calling the proposed Denver college-affordability ballot measure “unequivocally an economic imperative” for the city, Mayor Michael Hancock on Thursday joined business and education leaders to launch a campaign aimed at persuading voters to approve a sales-tax increase to help residents pay for higher education.

“This is an opportunity for us as a city to say we believe in our future, we believe in our need to develop our workforce, and we believe in the importance of making sure you can pursue your dreams in higher education or a certificate program,” he said at a media event in front of Denver West High School.

The proposal, the first of its kind in the nation, would establish a tax of 8 cents on $100 purchases to fund a program to reimburse organizations that offer scholarships to certain Denver residents attending in-state higher education institutions and also help pay off student loans. It’s one of four measures on November’s municipal ballot.

Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Kelly Brough said that approving the measure, known as 2A, makes good business sense.

“Our economic need for a knowledge-based workforce means we have to stop saying this is someone else’s responsibility and accept that a failure to educate our kids effectively puts our entire economy at risk. The truth is, our smart and healthy workforce is our competitive advantage in this market,” she said.

The campaign, run by the Strategies 360 consulting firm, plans to raise in the neighborhood of $400,000, organizers said. Polling shows the measure has the support of roughly 60 percent of Denver voters, they added.

While there isn’t yet any organized opposition to the measure, there are vocal opponents.

“I do not believe it’s a municipal responsibility, first and foremost,” said Councilman Kevin Flynn. “There are a lot of problems we could solve by adding fractions of a cent to the sales tax here and there, but they’re not our job,” he added.

What’s more, Flynn said, the proposal would only fuel rising college costs, rather than help contain them.

“If we continue to meet the increasing demands of higher and higher tuition … we’re never going to provide the groundwork for addressing those higher costs, they’re just going to go higher and higher,” he said. “It’s like fighting obesity by throwing an all-you-can-eat buffet.”

— ernest@coloradostatesman.com

CORRECTION: The proposed Denver 2A ballot measure would establish a sales tax of 8/100 of a percent, or 8 cents on $100 worth of purchases. Due to incorrect information supplied by the campaign, an earlier version of this story included an incorrect figure.