File photo
The town of Basalt anticipated reaping $480,000 in revenue from a tax on tobacco products in 2020, so it is planning to put the funds to good use in 2021.
The Town Council voted 6-0 Tuesday night to provide $150,000 to the Aspen Hope Center for various counseling programs, $100,000 to the Roaring Fork School District to fund a mental health and behavioral health therapist at Basalt Elementary School and $80,000 for grants of as much as $10,000 for nonprofit organizations that serve Basalt and have programs related to tobacco use prevention or cessation.
Town Manager Ryan Mahoney said the expenditures align with the uses outlined in an April 2018 ballot question. Voters passed a $2 tax on a pack of cigarettes and a 40% tax on other tobacco products.