The Commerce City Council is about to make a huge mistake. On the agenda for their meeting scheduled for Monday the council is set to vote on Rental Registration Ordinance 2541. This legislation would lead to higher rents, perpetuate the housing shortage and harm the most vulnerable members of our community.

The council conducted a first reading of Ordinance 2541 on August 14. Since the legislation was first brought up, the council has not engaged in productive dialogue with stakeholders throughout the community. Instead of listening to those who will be harmed, Commerce City’s leaders have chosen to move forward. It seems to me, and my congregation, they are doing so without seriously considering the effects it will have while also “hiding the ball” from residents in our city.

The proposed rental property registration fee is one of the ordinance’s biggest issues. Under the legislation, rental properties would need to shell out $600 to obtain a 3-year license to operate. This fee will be passed on to tenants in the form of higher rents.

Spread evenly over the license’s 3-year life cycle, this would automatically raise rents by $16.66 per month. Though that may not sound like a lot, we must remember the burden will fall on the shoulders of low-income families and workers, many of whom are already struggling to get by in a metro area that is sadly one of the most expensive real estate markets in the country.

Additionally, a $600 fee is far outside the norm for our area. Denver, for instance, charges $100 for a 4-year license. The City Council should amend Ordinance 2541 to a similar level to ensure Commerce City is not an expensive outlier.

Renters are not the city’s piggy bank. It’s unconscionable for elected officials to treat them like a money printer.

The ordinance would also disproportionately harm our area’s small property owners and managers, who help boost the housing supply in a tight market. Small property owners, who often manage just a property or two, may lack the time and resources to navigate the convoluted and expensive regulatory burden imposed by a new ordinance.

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If the City Council moves forward, many properties managed by small landlords will likely be taken off the market. This will, of course, not only harm the many immigrants and people of color who are property managers, but also harm tenants city-wide. Less supply to meet growing demand will naturally result in higher prices.

The City Council’s desire to improve the conditions of renters is commendable. Everyone can agree tenants have a right to live in safe, quality homes. If efforts to improve conditions for renters make housing unaffordable, however, it will do more harm than good.

Other cities in our region have ensured conditions for tenants are of acceptable quality without resulting in higher rents. Rather than trying to reinvent the wheel, Commerce City should follow paths that have proven successful. Looking into what has worked for Denver would be a good place to start.

Given these concerns, it’s hardly surprising hundreds of Commerce City residents have signed a petition requesting the City Council not move forward with Ordinance 2541. Our leaders should listen to the voices of the people who elect them. Ignoring the concerns of Commerce City’s residents is insulting and undemocratic.

Rev. Patrick Demmer is pastor of Graham Memorial Community Church of God in Christ in Commerce City, and a civil rights activist.