AURORA RETAILERS DESERVE BETTER.
We already follow the law – checking IDs, training staff and passing inspections.
Add your name to the letter below now and tell the Aurora City Council: No new retailer license. Support enforcement that works, not burdens that hurt local businesses.
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Dear Mayor and Members of the Aurora City Council,
As responsible convenience retailers in Aurora, we respectfully ask the city not to move forward with a new city tobacco retail licensing program.
Like many local businesses, we already follow the law. We check IDs, train our employees, and comply with inspections. We are already licensed by the state of Colorado. Creating an additional city license would add new fees, paperwork, and administrative risk for businesses that are already doing the right thing.
We support protecting kids from access to tobacco and nicotine products. But paperwork does not stop illegal sales. Training, regular compliance checks, and strong enforcement against repeat violators are necessary.
A new City license would:
- Treat responsible retailers the same as repeat offenders;
- Add additional administrative burdens to small businesses that are duplicative but no less onerous than existing state obligations;
- Shift city resources toward administration instead of enforcement; and
- Disproportionately impact small, family-owned, and immigrant-owned businesses.
There is a better approach. The city should focus on:
- Mandatory training for retail employees;
- Increased compliance checks; and
- Strong penalties for repeat violations.
We respectfully urge the Aurora City Council to oppose a new and unnecessary tobacco retail licensing program and instead prioritize effective enforcement and education that protects kids without harming responsible local businesses.
Because this proposal will negatively impact us and our businesses directly, we will be following this matter closely and welcome the opportunity to work with the Council on the approach mentioned above that accomplishes the shared goal of reducing youth access to these age-restricted products.
Thank you for considering the voices of Aurora retailers.