AURORA | The Aurora City Council did not pass a resolution Monday night urging the federal government to provide pandemic economic relief benefits to some undocumented immigrants who pay taxes.
The resolution, sponsored by Councilwoman Alison Coombs, resulted in a tied vote, as Mayor Mike Coffman voted “no.” Because of the tie, the resolution will return to the floor, although it seems unlikely votes will change.
Council members Francoise Bergan, Marsha Berzins, Dave Gruber and Curtis Gardner voted against the resolution, which isn’t legally binding. Some of those members said they believe resolutions aren’t useful because they don’t result in any immediate action.
In this instance, the resolution urged Congress to include stimulus payments to people who have paid taxes using an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, which is issued by the Internal Revenue Service to “help individuals comply with the U.S. tax laws, and to provide a means to efficiently process and account for tax returns and payments for those not eligible for Social Security numbers.”
Those numbers do not authorize work in the U.S.
People with ITINs were not included in a late-March incentive package President Donald Trump signed into law.
Bergan said resolutions give a “false sense of security” to Aurora residents, adding that she may even vote “no” on all future resolutions because she dislikes the concept so much. Coombs pointed that other resolutions in the past didn’t attract as much scrutiny. Specifically Coombs cited a 2018 resolution asking the state to address construction defects.
Bergan voted “yes” on that resolution, but replied that the issue specifically impacted the city and was not a federal issue.
Councilman Juan Marcano said he thought it “shameful” that some council members think resolutions mean nothing, as they send a message to residents and other elected bodies.
Council members have sparred over resolutions regarding federal action, most recently in supporting the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
Coffman, a former Aurora congressman, said he decided to vote “no” on the Coombs’ resolution because it didn’t seek to change any federal immigration laws, which he said he believes Congress should completely overhaul.
Gruber said he wouldn’t vote for the resolution in part because it would be likely that money given to undocumented immigrants would end up being sent to family members still residing in Mexico, therefore negating the intention of the stimulus money, which he said is to restart the economy.
Councilwoman Allison Hiltz was absent from the meeting.
City council members unanimously approved a contract with Adams and Arapahoe counties to operate an emergency respite center for people experiencing homelessness in the region that also are directly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The center is housed in an undisclosed Aurora hotel.