Flock cameras were installed in Denver in May 2024, and there are now more than 100 cameras mounted at 70 intersections across the city.
The Denver Police Department has credited the license plate readers for hundreds of arrests and recovered stolen vehicles, as well as the recovery of dozens of firearms. But at a packed community meeting Wednesday night, residents called for the city to “De-Flock Denver” and for the mayor to include the community in conversations about the future of the cameras.
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John McKinney, president of the East Colfax Neighborhood Association, told the packed crowd he has a simple message for Mayor Johnston.
“Quit doing this behind closed doors and come out and debate us in the public forum, you f—-ing p—y!,” said McKinney.
The gathering brought together several registered neighborhood associations (RNOs) against the use of Flock.
This meeting came on the same day Johnston announced new privacy protections for the cameras, stating that only Denver police officers can access Denver’s camera data.
“No federal agency of any sort, no federal employee of any sort will have access to Denver’s data,” Johnston told Denver7 Investigates.
Under the updated contract, other Colorado law enforcement agencies can access the information only if they sign agreements promising not to share data with federal agencies. An agency that signs the agreement and violates it will be subject to prosecution by the Colorado Attorney General’s Office.
Flock will pay a $100,000 fine for any instance in which it shares data with the federal government, according to the city.
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Denver bans sharing of Flock camera data with the federal government
McKinney dismissed these safeguards as insufficient protection.
“It’s very weak regulation,” McKinney said.
Johnston acknowledged in his interview Wednesday that he cannot satisfy all critics but defended the program’s effectiveness in reducing auto theft and solving murders.
“For folks who are never going to ideologically believe in any use of a camera system in the country, we won’t find common ground on that idea,” Johnston said.
Watch our full interview with Denver Mayor Mike Johnston below
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston discusses 5-month extension with Flock | Full interview
Denver City Council members who attended the town hall said they were not involved in the mayor’s contract decision with the company. Councilwoman Shontel Lewis publicly criticized Johnston Wednesday night.
“I want to say that it’s important for you all to identify the kings in the castle in the cities in which you all live,” said Lewis. “And the mayor is one of those.”
The heated debate over license plate reader cameras is expected to continue in the coming months. Denver7 will continue to stay on top of this issue.
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Mayor Mike Johnston announced Wednesday that the city will again extend its agreement to keep Flock Safety license plate cameras operating in Denver, despite pushback from the Denver City Council.
The technology, which police say is helpful in stopping auto theft and other crimes, has drawn fierce criticism about potential privacy violations and the threat the data could be shared with federal immigration enforcement and other external agencies.
City officials say the extended contract will come with new conditions meant to protect Denver’s data.
The city put up 111 solar-powered Flock cameras at 70 sites citywide in May 2024. Since then, the system has photographed roughly 2 million license plates per month, allowing police to track and locate vehicles. The captured images led to 352 arrests, 250 recovered vehicles and 39 recovered firearms, according to the city.
Now, the Johnston administration has another temporary solution. The mayor’s office announced that it would again extend its contract with Flock by another five months — this time at no cost, meaning council still doesn’t have to approve it.
The new agreement runs through March 31, 2026 — more than a year after the contract originally was set to expire — and comes with changes.
“I’ve made clear to Flock’s leadership that I expect total transparency and that anything less will result in an end to our relationship,” Johnston said in a press release. “To their credit, they have agreed to our terms and will build a Denver-specific package that will lead the way in using this technology for the public good.”
At the end of the extension, the city plans to present a long-term contract to council, which will require a vote.
The extended contract comes with safeguards, the city says.
Flock has faced national controversy over how its data is used. It includes functions that allow individual law enforcement agencies to search a national network of cities that use Flock cameras.
In a University of Washington report, researchers found law enforcement agencies across Washington conducted searches on behalf of immigration enforcement agencies. In Colorado, the city of Loveland allowed immigration enforcement access to its data, as did many other agencies across the country through a sanctioned Flock program that was disclosed to 9News.
The city says there is no evidence that Denver’s Flock data has been used for immigration enforcement. But thousands of agencies around the nation had access to Denver data through the “national search” function — a fact that DPD officials said they weren’t aware of until April, when they deactivated the function.
Johnston’s office said from now on, it won’t be possible for external agencies to search Denver’s Flock data without coming to an agreement with the city.
“Agencies will need to negotiate an [memorandum of understanding] with Denver, which will state that any data sharing with the federal government regarding civil immigration enforcement will result in an immediate loss of access to data sharing and referral to the Colorado Attorney General’s Office for prosecution,” a city press release said. “Additionally, no federal agents will be allowed to search Denver’s data, even if they are assigned to a Denver task force.”
The mayor’s office added that Flock has agreed to only allow search terms for a select number of crimes and will not permit searches related to immigration or reproductive healthcare.
If data is improperly released to external parties, the city said Flock has agreed to pay Denver $100,000 in damages. Flock has verbally agreed to those changes, city officials said, but they haven’t been written into a signed contract.
A representative for Flock said the company was committed to the deal.
“Flock Safety is committed to working with communities like Denver to provide critical public safety technology that helps law enforcement prevent and solve crime, while protecting residents’ privacy. We fully support Mayor Johnston’s commitment to transparency and accountability and will continue partnering with the City to ensure that Denver’s program reflects its values and priorities,” a written statement read.
Some of Flock’s critics are still skeptical.
Councilmember Kevin Flynn praised the new contract, saying it adds “strong guardrails”.
“The system has already proved its worth in solving crimes around the city. We can boost safety while ensuring the data is restricted,” he said. Numerous local cities use Flock, and police have cited the cameras as providing key evidence in cases. Aurora police this week said they used Flock to identify a suspect’s vehicle in a deadly hit-and-run, later arresting him.
But at-large Councilmember Sarah Parady said she was “stunned” to learn that Johnston had been negotiating with Flock.
“As the ACLU; members of Congress; reproductive and First Amendment rights watchdogs; multiple other local governments including Austin, Texas; and a growing chorus of voices nationwide have recognized, this company is dishonest, motivated primarily by the profit potential that comes with aggregation of data, and has no place in our city,” she wrote in a statement to Denverite.
Katie Leonard, a community organizer with the Denver branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, said in a statement that Denver advocacy groups have been largely ignored in their concerns about Flock cameras.
“For months, Denver residents and community leaders have demanded an end to Flock cameras in the city. And for months, their concerns were ignored,” Leonard wrote. “It was only because of the persistence of community advocates that we are seeing the needle move, just slightly, toward protecting the constitutional rights of people in Denver.”
The Colorado chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union said Johnston’s administration should be more transparent about Flock.
“There must be full transparency from the mayor’s office when it comes to Flock Safety. There should be no more private negotiations on Flock contracts. The full Flock task force should be included in all matters involving Flock’s contract with the city, and the public’s concerns and input should be a part of that process,” the organization said in a statement.
Before Johnston had announced the contract extension, organizers had been planning a Wednesday evening town hall to discuss concerns with Flock cameras. The town hall will take place at Geotech Environmental at 2650 E. 40th Avenue at 6:00 p.m.
Editor’s note: This article was updated with comment from Flock, the Denver branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation and the Colorado chapter of the ACLU.
DENVER — The mass layoffs at the City and County of Denver have been completed, city officials announced Wednesday.
The city laid off 169 employees and eliminated 666 vacant positions. Previously, the city said 171 employees had been laid off, but on Wednesday, officials said two employees resigned ahead of the layoffs, bringing the number down to 169.
Mayor Mike Johnston hosted a roundtable with reporters on Wednesday to provide more details about the layoffs and answer questions.
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Denver Mayor Mike Johnston hosted a roundtable with reporters on Wednesday, Aug. 20 to answer their questions about the city’s recent layoffs.
With the city facing a $200 million budget gap, Johnston said layoffs became unavoidable.
“I never wanted this part of this job,” Johnston said. “This is a hard thing to do, the honest and courageous thing in this moment, which is to say we can’t just keep doing what we’re doing.”
Some critics have blamed the city’s spending on immigrants for causing the budget gap.
“People are certainly entitled to their own opinions, but not their own facts. And so, I think this is why the facts matter here,” Johnston said.
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The mayor told Denver7 the city’s spending on immigrants and homelessness programs is only $3 million more than two years ago, not hundreds of millions as some claim.
“In fact, our migrant spending next year will go to zero in the 2026 budget,” Johnston said. “That is not part of this crisis.”
Instead, the mayor blamed the budget gap on declining sales tax revenue and government growth over the past decade before he took office. As for the layoffs, Johnston said the city tried to be fair and consistent.
“We were able to do that without either disproportionately impacting our longest tenured employees, which was a concern, without disproportionately impacting frontline, direct service employees, or employees of color,” Johnston said.
The city on Wednesday released a breakdown of layoffs by department. The Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) had the most layoffs with 31, followed by the Community Planning and Development Office with 19, and the Human Resources Office with 18. There were no layoffs for the police, fire and sheriff’s department.
Johnston rejected accusations that his administration was deliberately targeting its critics through the layoffs. Denver City Council Member Stacie Gilmore, whose husband, Scott, was laid off from his position at the Parks & Rec Department, told Denver7 she believes he was targeted because of her outspokenness against Johnston and his administration.
“I think it’s irresponsible and factually false,” Johnston said. “When we make these decisions, we don’t base them on who you know or who you’re married to.”
Johnston said the layoffs and elimination of vacant positions will help the city fill $100 million of the $200 million budget gap. The remaining gap will be filled by cuts to contracts, supplies and services, according to the mayor.
Johnston said additional layoffs and furloughs won’t be necessary in the year ahead.
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Mayor Mike Johnston speaks as officials celebrate another few blocks reopening on the 16th Street Mall, between Wazee and Larimer Streets. Aug. 29, 2024.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston opened his schedule Thursday to answer questions from a horde of Redditors for his second-ever “Ask Me Anything.”
We took a look at his questions and found some highlights.
On traffic enforcement:
Something that has r/Denver’s collective goat is vehicles with expired registration tags or missing plates. Several users probed the mayor’s thinking on the state of traffic enforcement.
Still, the most popular question in the thread asked why it’s so common to see expired or missing plates, burned out tail lights and street racing.
Johnston said the city is exploring new strategies to combat crime. (FYI: We’re copying and pasting Johnston’s answers as he wrote them — with very few capital letters…)
“as far as general traffic enforcement goes for speeding that is a real priority we are stopping people we are ticketing them we’re looking to add more speed cameras across the city particularly on our high injury networks so that we will be able to catch more people for speeding without having to use officer time to be deployed on the streets all the time!” Johnston wrote.
On the Park Hill Golf Course:
The Park Hill Golf Course still sits empty, after voters rejected an attempt to develop the property.
News on the future of the 155-acre lot may be coming soon, however.
“we are in active negotiations on this one and are confident we will have an answer by the end of the year, stay tuned!” Johnston wrote.
“It is not zoning that is the gating factor its financing to keep units affordable – without this financing people just build luxury units,” Johnston wrote. “we need transformational financing tools to make sure the units are affordable and keep current affordable units too.”
Johnston said getting people in need into housing and drug recovery programs will help with that.
“we started a program last year called Roads to Recovery which was created specifically to support people that we know have much higher acuity addiction needs or mental health challenges,” Johnston wrote. “So this Road to Recovery program is designed to give people access to mental health treatment and addiction treatment in much more intensive settings while providing long-term housing. so we are right now expanding our outreach efforts to connect with those people and connect them to services both through street outreach as well as when officers contact them.”
Johnston also wrote that bringing the Denver Police Department up to “full authorized strength” is a top priority for his office.
On the airport:
Getting to Denver International Airport is becoming “more and more of a hassle,” according to Johnston. He said the city is looking at ways to encourage and expand the use of the RTD A-Line that goes from Union Station to the airport.
With the cost of A Line tickets compared to rideshares and parking, the train “doesn’t always make sense,” he wrote.
He also added that the city is looking at ways to ease concessions lines at the airport by opening more restaurants both pre- and post-security.
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston says Denver is “very much open for business” for artificial intelligence companies. Gov. Jared Polis shares the same goal for Colorado.
But the state’s new artificial intelligence law could stop all that — at least according to Reid Hoffman, the founder of LinkedIn and one of the biggest players in tech.
The new state law will “prevent the future of software from being in Colorado, which doesn’t strike me as a particularly smart play,” Hoffman said on Thursday, referring to a bill that passed earlier this year.
Hoffman made the comments as he was interviewed on stage by Mayor Johnston at the DenAI Summit, which is meant to position the city as a hub for AI.
Describing the new law as an “amorphous, poorly defined big accountability stick,” Hoffman said it would “quell investment” in AI.
Colorado’s new law, SB24-205, requires companies to inform people when an AI system is being used, and, if someone thinks the technology has treated them unfairly, allows them to correct some of the input data or file a complaint. It won’t allow an individual to sue over AI use, but sets up a process to look into potential consequences for bad actors.
The law will also require developers to examine AI algorithms for signs of bias, and it created a task force to work on AI issues. Proponents have said it’s important to establish protections and regulations as the technology’s use explodes.
Mayor Mike Johnston speaks with LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman during a DenAI Summit event at the Colorado Convention Center. Sept. 19, 2024.Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
For his part, the mayor didn’t criticize the law. But he gave credit to “the community of business leaders here that rallied after that” to work on potential changes to the law.
Gov. Polis has also expressed concern about the new law stifling AI investment in Colorado saying he wanted to see a national approach instead. though he ultimately signed the bill. The new law is the first of its kind in the nation.
“Whether (people) get insurance, or what the rate for their insurance is, or legal decisions or employment decisions, whether you get fired or hired, could be up to an AI algorithm,” said Democratic state Rep. Brianna Titone, one of the bill’s main sponsors, in an earlier interview with CPR News.
The rest of Hoffman and Johnston’s discussion covered everything from how governments can use AI to improve transportation, public safety and pothole fixing, to the importance of experimenting with new technology, and how AI and autonomous vehicles might get drunk people home safely.
It was a rare glimpse of the mayor interacting with Hoffman, a prime backer of Johnston who spent millions to support his election. It was also a taste of the mayor’s technology agenda.
The pair spoke before a crowd of hundreds at the sold-out summit. Organizers said the one-day event at the Colorado Convention Center was the nation’s first “city-led conference focused on utilizing AI technology to solve hard social problems.”
The city did not contribute any money for the conference, and speakers weren’t compensated.
Here’s what else we heard.
A crowd watches as Mayor Mike Johnston speaks with LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman during a DenAI Summit event at the Colorado Convention Center. Sept. 19, 2024.Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
AI won’t “be inclusive on Day One”
Not everyone can afford AI technology, raising questions about whether its benefits will be equitably distributed. When the mayor asked about that, Hoffman cautioned people to not wait for perfection to begin using the tech.
It’s an “iterative process,” and it gets better with time, Hoffman said. “You’re not going to be able to be inclusive on Day One.”
Instead, governments and the public should be in constant dialogue with the private sector about what is and isn’t working, creating specific guardrails rather than blanket prohibitions, the tech executive argued.
Governments should “start playing with AI.”
Hoffman said that both governments and people should start with experiments. For example, in an AI-powered city, residents could get faster responses to complaints about potholes, crimes and other issues. (Of course, AI can’t actually fill the potholes yet.)
Mayor Johnston suggested police officers, who spend hours writing reports, could minimize that task if body cameras were connected to technology that pre-writes reports that officers can approve. That would save time and add objectivity to criminal reports, he suggested.
Hoffman cautioned the public not to just fret about how AI could challenge democracy, harm social ties and create a gap in equity. Instead, he advised: “Find the right people who want to create the future with you.”
Johnston talked about the importance of “taking big swings,” referencing his own effort to reduce homelessness as an example.
AI for traffic (and drunk people):
With more than 40,000 people dying in traffic accidents each year, automated vehicles, empowered by AI, could make the roads safer, Hoffman said.
“Drinking and driving goes from … an evil thing risking people’s lives to something you might do every day,” Hoffman said, referring to the idea that an autonomous car could get an inebriated person home safely.
Johnston said it was another good example of how governments could work with the tech sector.
“I think what we’re after is … pushing private sector innovators to think about ways in which you could tool build or innovate solutions that would have massive markets,” Johnston said.
Government may lose trust if new tech fails.
Johnston acknowledged that the public sector has a “different burden” when it takes risks in employing new technologies. “How do we communicate with the public to make them prepared for that?” he asked.
Hoffman’s suggestion: Tech providers should agree to take the blame for problems with public-private AI endeavors, and they should be compensated for it.
Ultimately, anybody who says they know where artificial intelligence will go in the next five years is either deluding themselves or deluding you, Hoffman said.
As it turns out, we still can’t predict the future.
Mayor Mike Johnston wore cowboy boots to speak with LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman during a DenAI Summit event at the Colorado Convention Center. Sept. 19, 2024.Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
The big headline of Denver’s budget this year is that the city will have to tighten its belt, as consumer spending and softening sales tax revenue is slowing growth for cities across the country.
Mayor Mike Johnston released his 2025 budget Thursday. In case you don’t have time to read a nearly 800 page document, here are the key takeaways from the proposal.
The budget is tighter than usual this year.
Denver’s 2025 budget will see its slowest growth since 2011 and the first reduction in full-time employees in a decade, not including the pandemic.
Next year’s budget is growing by just 0.6 percent. In comparison, the city projected 4 percent revenue growth for 2024, the current budget year.
“Keeping our growth at this size involved several tough decisions,” said Nicole Doheny, chief financial officer for the city.
There would not be furloughs or layoffs under this proposal. To save costs, the mayor’s office is leaving open vacant positions, reducing spending on supplies and making use of city reserves.
Denver has about $14 million more in pandemic recovery money to spend as well.
Spending on homelessness and new immigrants is decreasing.
The city is spending a lot less on homelessness programs, compared to last year. But 2024 was an unusual year for that spending, since the city made major one-time purchases of things like hotels to use as shelter. Those were paid for with a mix of federal and local money..
Funding for Johnston’s homelessness program, All In Mile High, is decreasing from $141 million in 2024 to $57.7 million in 2025. Johnston said the focus will be on funding for the city’s programs, rather than on capital costs like buying property.
In a press conference Thursday, Johnston called it “one of the lowest carrying costs for homelessness resolution in the country.”
But some anti-homelessness programs are also seeing cuts. Funding for rental assistance is decreasing, from $30 million to $20 million, even as evictions reach record-breaking levels. Last year, nonprofits, advocates and a group of city council members made rental assistance one of the top sticking points of Johnston’s 2024 budget, securing an additional $13.5 million for renters facing eviction.
As the number of new immigrants arriving in the city has decreased, that funding is dropping as well, from $90 million in 2024 to $12.5 million in 2025. That was one of Denver’s biggest unexpected costs in 2023 and early 2024.
Since new immigrants started arriving at the end of 2022, the city has received some state and federal reimbursements for supporting immigrants. But when Republicans in Congress killed a bipartisan immigration reform bill earlier this year, it left more of the cost to the city, and Johnston imposed budget cuts in response.
Johnston is still focused on growing Denver’s police force.
Similar to last year’s budget, the 2025 budget includes funding for 168 new police recruits, plus 24 new firefighters and 60 new sheriff’s deputies. And like last year, Johnston said the goal is for new police recruits to outpace retirements in order to grow the force. Denver Police has struggled with understaffing in the past few years.
Denver’s police alternative, STAR, is getting a bump. The program, which sends mental health responders and paramedics to nonviolent calls, would get $6.9 million, up from $6.2 million in 2024.
Growing STAR is something some council members and advocates have asked for in the past. Last year, a group of council members tried to repurpose nearly $4 million of police funding for STAR, but that amendment failed amid questions about whether the program could spend all the money at its current capacity.
STAR has room to grow. It responded to more than 7,000 calls in 2023, its highest response rate since it started in 2020. But staff said 15,000 calls were eligible for STAR responses — they just didn’t have the resources.
City employees would get raises under the proposed budget.
Johnston is proposing an average 4 percent merit raise for employees.
Johnston said that’s in response to the many emergencies staff have responded to, including COVID-19, homelessness and the spike in new immigrants.
“Our city employees over the last four years have seen more days of emergency operation than the city of Denver saw the previous 40 years before that,” Johnston said. “I think it’s important to both invest in those employees, support them and retain them.”
The city didn’t immediately respond to a question about the cost of raises.
City council and homeless advocates got a few wins.
Johnston responded to calls from some city council members and homelessness advocates to improve the availability of emergency shelters during cold weather. Council members Shontel Lewis and Sarah Parady introduced legislation in November that got shelved at the time. But on Thursday, Johnston said he would implement a key change from their proposal.
The city is budgeting $1.2 million to open cold-weather shelters when the temperature drops to 25 degrees, instead of waiting for temperatures to go as low as 20 degrees, which is the current policy. The shelters will also stay open for 24 hours, rather than just 12-hour stints. The city expects that move will increase the number of days those shelters are open from 40 days to 80 days per season.
To open the new cold-weather shelters, the city is shutting down and converting its immigrant shelters. The number of new immigrants arriving in the city has dropped sharply since last winter.
Denver also will start an Office of Community Engagement at a cost of $200,000, something city council has been researching for the past few years and has proposed in past budgeting cycles. The office will specialize in neighborhood outreach.
And businesses that will be affected by downtown construction will also get more money for support, with an added $2.5 million for businesses affected by 16th Street Mall and Colfax Avenue projects.
Denver Health is still in trouble.
One of Colorado’s only safety net hospitals is facing a major funding crisis. Costs of care for patients — many of whom lack insurance — have skyrocketed, while money from the city and private insurance has stayed relatively flat for many years.
Supporters of the hospital are running a ballot measure that would add a 0.34 percent sales tax to raise about $64 million for Denver Health. Without it, CEO Donna Lynne has said the hospital might need to cut services.
We don’t yet know if the tax hike will pass this November.
Meanwhile, the city is promising an increase to its own contribution. Johnston touted a 3 percent increase in the city’s budget for the hospital at his press conference Thursday. But Denver Health CEO Donna Lynne said that basically amounts to an adjustment for inflation. She was hoping for $30 million in emergency funding for the hospital in case the ballot measure doesn’t pass.
“This is literally inflation for a minuscule part of our budget,” she said. “We lose money on almost all the services we provide to the city.”
What’s next for the budget?
Next, different departments will come to city council to explain their plans for the next budget year. That will happen between Sept. 16 and 20, and it’s a good chance to find out what different city agencies are up to — you can find that schedule here.
In October, council will have a chance to make recommendations to the mayor, who must release his final budget draft by Oct. 21.
On Oct. 28, the public can weigh in on the budget at city council’s public hearing. Also, throughout October, city council can pass amendments to the budget. Those amendments must be approved by the mayor or overridden if Johnston chooses to veto them instead.
City council must vote on the final budget by Nov. 12. Here’s the full schedule.
A group supporting a ballot measure to assist Denver Health kicked off an election-season campaign on Tuesday to encourage city voters to support a sales tax to help solve a dire funding crisis.
The effort on behalf of the city’s public hospital, called Healing Denver, brought out the big guns — the current mayor and perhaps his best-known predecessor — as it launched the campaign.
Mayor Mike Johnston joined a crowd of a few dozen in a park across the street from the hospital’s main campus near Bannock Street and Speer Boulevard.
Johnston recalled his first day in office when two police officers were shot in the line of duty.
Mayor Mike Johnston shakes hands with former Mayor Wellington Webb as Denver Health’s leaders and supporters gather to push for “Yes on 2Q,” a ballot measure that would send more funding to the safety-net hospital, at Denver’s Sunken Gardens Park. Sept. 10, 2024.Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Hospital staff “made sure those officers who literally risked their lives for the city and county of Denver were going to have world-class treatment right here in the city to make sure they thrived and survived, which they did,” the mayor said.
“In that moment, Denver Health is there,” continued Johnston, who called for voters to be there for the health system by voting on Ballot Issue 2Q.
City residents will vote Nov. 5 on a .34 percent sales tax, which works out to 3.4 cents on a $10 purchase. It would raise about $70 million annually, according to Denver Health CEO Donna Lynne. It would have to gather support from at least 50 percent of Denver voters to pass.
“We need Denver Health. If you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything,” said former Mayor Wellington Webb, who was instrumental in the creation of the modern Denver Health, “a state-chartered institution with a public mission.”
Former Mayor Wellington Webb speaks as Denver Health’s leaders and supporters gather to push for “Yes on 2Q,” their position on a ballot measure that would send more funding to the safety-net hospital, at Denver’s Sunken Gardens Park. Sept. 10, 2024.Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
“Are you willing to stand up for Denver Health? Are you willing to fight for it and nurture it and protect it?” Webb said, calling out to the crowd, which included a large and diverse group standing behind him with Yes on 2Q signs.
So far, the campaign to pass the sales tax has reported raising about $800,000. Lynne is the top reported contributor to date, giving $60,000, according to the Denver campaign finance dashboard.
Denver Health, a ‘safety net’ hospital, faces some dire financial straits
Denver Health, once known as Denver General, was founded in 1860, before even the city or the state were incorporated. It serves nearly 300,000 people each year and is considered the “safety net” hospital.
Lynne, a former lieutenant governor of Colorado, laid out a stark financial reality.
“Health care costs are going up and they’re going up substantially year after year after year. We have seen a doubling of our patients just in the last two years,” Lynne told the crowd. “Since just 2019, we have seen two and a half times more uncompensated care at Denver Health, people who are uninsured, people who are underinsured, and who desperately need our care.”
Denver Health CEO Donna Lynne speaks during a press conference for “Yes on 2Q,” their position on a ballot measure that would send more funding to the safety-net hospital, at Denver’s Sunken Gardens Park. Sept. 10, 2024.Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
She said if the measure fails, services will be cut.
“Primary care, emergency services, mental health services, pediatric care and substance use care are honestly at risk if we don’t pass this measure,” Lynne said.
The money raised will help the system, which has rapidly seen expenses outrun revenue, cope with annual costs for uncompensated care which rose to $140 million in 2023.
The arrival of tens of thousands of new immigrants contributed to those costs, with about $10.5 million of the sum going to treat an estimated 8,500 newly arrived people.
“It is less than 10 percent of the increased uncompensated care that we’ve seen over the last several years,” Lynne said, noting the system has a responsibility to care for everyone regardless of their ability to pay and also is looking out for the health of the entire community.
One City Councilmember worried it would be one of many new sales taxes
The ballot measure has no organized opposition, Lynne told CPR, noting that the system has been cutting costs as the situation has worsened.
When the city council weighed placing the measure on the fall ballot in June, only one person voted no, Councilmember Kevin Flynn. He expressed concerns about the city getting too reliant on sales taxes to fund city services.
“I do feel like someone needs to be the canary in the coal mine, and I guess that’s going to be me,” Flynn said.
He said he wanted governments outside of the city, whose residents also seek care in Denver, to help pay for hospital services.
Dr. Steven Federico speaks as Denver Health’s leaders and supporters gather to push for “Yes on 2Q,” their position on a ballot measure that would send more funding to the safety-net hospital, at Denver’s Sunken Gardens Park. Sept. 10, 2024.Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Lynne said she and earlier CEOs have tried to make that appeal. One even sent letters with specific tallies of how much Denver Health had spent on care for residents of other cities. But, no dice.
“We didn’t get any answers back. Certainly we didn’t get checks,” she said.
Health care costs are going up even as city contributions to Denver Health remain the same
Lynne noted the state legislature and governor have given Denver Health about $11 million over the last two years to help pay, at least a bit, for the uncompensated care.
Other safety net hospitals around the country can count on much more public financial support, Lynne told the crowd.
“This measure is designed to address concerns about affordability, ensuring that the impact on families is pretty minimal,” she said. “I want to assure you that it will be directed to the core services that the voters care about.”
Denver Health CEO Donna Lynne speaks during a press conference for “Yes on 2Q,” their position on a ballot measure that would send more funding to the safety-net hospital, at Denver’s Sunken Gardens Park. Sept. 10, 2024.Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Denver Health is funded from a variety of sources: private insurance, public programs like Medicare and Medicaid, and money from the city and state.
The cost of health care, especially for patients without insurance, has gone through the roof. However, the City of Denver’s contribution to Denver Health’s budget has remained essentially flat, Lynne said.
Other city leaders called Denver Health ‘a pillar in this community’
Other speakers at the event underscored Denver Health’s central role in the health of the city.
“It is a pillar in this community and they provide essential care to all Denver residents, especially those who are underserved, are underserved populations, are underinsured populations, and anybody who is in need,” said Councilmember Jamie Torres, who represents District 3 and co-sponsored the measure in the council. “This is not an institution that we want to fail.”
City Council member Jamie Torres speaks as Denver Health’s leaders and supporters gather to push for “Yes on 2Q,” their position on a ballot measure that would send more funding to the safety-net hospital, at Denver’s Sunken Gardens Park. Sept. 10, 2024.Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, an at-large city council member, also a co-sponsor, said Denver Health is where the community’s most vulnerable populations receive health care.
Webb, in a campaign-style rallying cry, urged supporters to fight to convince their neighbors to back the ballot measure.
“I ask all of you as you knock on doors, don’t take anything for granted. Knock on every door and ask every person,” he said.
Mayor Mike Johnston’s affordable housing sales tax is headed to voters this November.
City Council approved a ballot measure that, if passed by voters, would dedicate $100 million a year to affordable housing using a .5 percent sales tax. Council voted 9-to-4 on Monday in favor of sending the sales tax to the voters, despite lingering concerns over a lack of detail in the ultimate plan.
The sales tax will sunset after 40 years, a last-minute amendment passed 12-to-1 by City Council on Monday over fears of overreach and an inability to know what the housing market will look like decades in the future.
“In the early 2000s we allowed developers to take advantage of our upcoming communities, displacing me, displacing my family, my community,” said Councilmember Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, who voted yes on the measure. “We needed to take control of the issue long, long ago. We are trying to pick up the pieces.”
In a statement Monday, Johnston called putting the sales tax on the ballot “an important step forward to ensuring all Denverites can live and thrive in our city.”
“We are thrilled and grateful to see City Council officially put Affordable Denver in the voters’ hands,” Johnston said.
Councilmembers Flor Alvidrez, Kevin Flynn, Stacie Gilmore and Amanda Sawyer voted no on the measure. They had concerns that the ballot measure, with its numerous amendments, was half-baked without a clear plan for the money.
Gilmore said she asked the Mayor’s office to hold the plan until the spring to work out more of the details.
“I’m still going to be a no on referring it to the ballot because I take my responsibility of good governance really seriously, and I can’t explain what this is going to look like to my constituents,” she said.
The plan, titled Affordable Denver, was designed to create or preserve 44,000 units of income-restricted housing over the next decade.
Johnston pitched the measure in early July. He was flanked by a who’s-who of community organizers and nonprofit leaders across the city, along with Councilmembers Shontel Lewis, Sarah Parady and Darrell Watson.
The mayor had just under two months to convince City Council to put the measure on the ballot.
“Denver can’t afford to wait,” Johnston said when announcing the campaign.
His hope is the tax would create affordability and prevent displacement, even as Denver’s economy grows.
“What we know is if we do nothing, 10 years from now, all of those Denverites will be gone,” he said. “They will have been pushed out or priced out or moved out to someplace else. And that is a future we refuse to accept.”
And Denver really needs affordable housing.
An annual report released last week found that overall homeless in Denver and the surrounding metro area rose by 10 percent compared to last year.
The sales tax would grow housing, not pay for homelessness services. But in interviews with Denverite, nonprofit leaders attributed the persistent rise in Denver’s homelessness to a continued lack of affordable housing in the area.
Affordable housing is something voters care about as well.
In the spring, Colorado Public Radio and other media outlets surveyed Coloradans statewide through the Voter Voices survey. Affordability is a top concern among residents of all political persuasions.
At its State of the City event, Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce members identified housing affordability, along with childcare, as two of the area’s greatest needs.
When Denverite interviewed more than 100 residents about their big concerns in the city, housing affordability topped the list.
And a recent bipartisan poll from the Colorado Health Foundation found that more than 70 percent of Denverites fear the lack of affordability will force them to leave Colorado. Nine in ten parents worry their children won’t be able to afford life here.
Despite the widespread belief that Denver lacks affordable housing, not everyone has bought that Johnston’s plan is the right one.
Some critics have argued the tax is regressive, putting the burden of funding the new housing on working people who need their money.
Voters will already be deciding on a .34 percent sales tax to fund Denver Health, the city’s safety net hospital that has faced huge funding shortages in recent years.
That’s on top of the numerous other sales tax increases Denver voters have approved in recent years, amounting to a 30 percent rise in sales taxes since 2018. One of those taxes passed in 2020 was specifically aimed at addressing homelessness.
“How many new added fees and tax increases does it take to make us affordable?” Councilmember Kevin Flynn asked in a committee meeting last month. “That strikes me as counterintuitive. And so I wonder, where does it end?”
Business leaders have been split on the solution. Some are eager for the government to take action and others arguing the city needs to slow down and roll out the plan with more details before taking it to the voters.
Other Councilmembers raised concerns that Affordable Denver doesn’t have enough of the details worked out.
Last week, Councilmembers brought a dozen amendments to the plan. They passed eight of them, including one that would add more Council oversight over how the money is spent.
Councilmembers passed even more amendments Monday, including a plan for how to prioritize using the funds and a compromise with the Mayor’s office to end the sales tax after 40 years.
“At $100 million a year for 40 years, that’s $4 billion, so if we can’t solve this in a generation and a half and $4 billion, we can’t solve this,” said amCouncilmember Amanda Sawyer, who brought forth the amendment.
Another amendment brought by Councilmember Shotel Lewis restricts portions of the funds to housing for people making 80 percent of the area median income, or $102,650 for a family of four in 2024.
The change would allow for mixed-income developments with an average of 100 percent area median income, or $130,400 for a family of four. The bill also includes exemptions for homeowners and buyers making up to 120 percent of the area median income, or $156,480 for a family of four.
That amendment passed 9 to 4, with some Councilmembers concerned that making the fund too restrictive could have unintended consequences decades in the future.
Despite concerns about the details, a majority of Councilmembers decided the housing crisis is too dire to wait.
Voters will make the final call on the sales tax in the Nov. 5 general election.
That’s along with a slew of other ballot measures, including the separate .35 percent sales tax hike to fund Denver Health. Some Councilmembers said they were concerned the affordable housing sales tax could affect the passage of the Denver Health sales tax.
Still, even the Councilmembers who voted yes on passing the measure to the voters expressed concerns about the lack of detail and quick timeline for the policy. They suggested that even if the voters approve the sales tax, more work lies ahead.
“I will support it going to the but we have to be honest, good intention exists, but the clarity and the specificity doesn’t,” Councilmember Jamie Torres said. “I will support it. I will work to get that clarity. And if it’s not there, I’m here for three more years in this term, then I don’t think we keep this fund.”
If City Council passes Mayor Mike Johnston’s affordable housing proposal, voters will decide on the new tax in November.
Mayor Mike Johnston and supporters on the steps of the City and County building as he announces a proposed sales tax to fund affordable housing, July 8, 2024.
Kyle Harris/Denverite
In the coming weeks, the full City Council will debate Affordable Denver.
That’s Mayor Mike Johnston’s proposal to raise Denver’s sales tax by .5 percent. The revenue would raise $100 million a year to fund affordable housing.
The plan would fund the building and preservation of housing for low-income, working-class and middle-class households.
The administration estimates it will raise sales taxes on residents by $2 a week. Items like health supplies, food and feminine hygiene supplies will be exempt from the tax.
“Denver is the best city in America because of our people – the teachers, nurses, firefighters, and working families who built Denver into what it is today,” Mayor Johnston said in a statement. “This proposal is a critical tool to make sure those Denverites can live in the city they serve for generations to come.”
Johnston struggled to get the Affordable Denver sales tax to a City Council vote.
The proposal hit an early snag in July in the Council’s Safety, Housing, Education & Homelessness Committee.
Councilmembers demanded more specifics and clarity. They raised concerns about who the proposal would — and wouldn’t — help.
Some wanted greater support for households making less than 60 percent of the area median income.
District 2 Councilmember Kevin Flynn asked whether Denver can actually tax its way to greater affordability.
For the past two weeks, the Mayor’s Office, sponsoring councilmembers, the Department of Housing Stability and the Department of Finance have all been hammering out details and addressing concerns.
Their work has been urgent since the final deadline to refer a measure to the voters is rapidly approaching.
The council committee unanimously supported the Affordable Denver sales tax.
On Aug. 7, the committee met again on the issue and unanimously sent the proposal to a full City Council vote.
At-large member Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, District 10 member Chris Hinds, Flynn, District 11 member Stacie Gilmore, District 5 member Amanda Sawyer, Council President and District 1 member Amanda Sandoval, and District 3 member Jamie Torres all voted to push the plan forward.
“Creating more affordable housing is one of the top priorities I hear from constituents,” said Sandoval in a statement. “I’m proud to work side-by-side with my colleagues on Council to create strong, meaningful change that will make a difference in the lives of Denverites for generations to come.”
Affordable housing continues to be a pressing concern for Denverites.
“As a coalition of over 20 Denver Metro Area affordable housing providers working across the housing continuum from homelessness to homeownership, we at the Neighborhood Development Collaborative know that flexible funding for diverse housing needs is vital to preventing displacement and homelessness while supporting homeowners and renters,” wrote Jonathan Cappelli, executive director of Neighborhood Development Collaborative in a letter to City Council. “NDC’s member organizations support this ordinance because it can meet these needs at a scale that will make a difference.”
What’s next?
The full City Council will consider Affordable Denver with a first reading on Monday, Aug. 12.
Council will likely vote on Monday, Aug. 19.
If City Council votes in favor of the plan, it will refer the issue to voters on the Nov. 5 ballot.
Xcel Energy’s defunct Zuni Generating Station on the edge of Sun Valley. May 26, 2023.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
It’s suddenly crunch time for a group of westside residents who’ve been pushing the city to save Xcel Energy’s defunct Zuni Generating Station.
For years, they’ve tried to convince Xcel to scrap their plans to demolish the hulking structure. They’ve meanwhile appealed to the city, under both Mayors Hancock and Johnston, asking they leverage public resources to save the historic building and turn it into something that might benefit the people who live nearby. Those conversations went dormant, thanks to the pandemic and our recent mayoral transition, leaving the power plant’s future in limbo.
But things are moving now. Xcel sent the city a letter on Friday notifying officials that it’s now time to sell or demolish the structures. The city gets first dibs on purchasing the site, and Xcel is giving them 90 days to make a decision.
Those preservation-minded residents are waiting in suspense to see what happens next.
Xcel says now’s the time to decide.
The utility already has approval from state regulators to demolish the power plant, and they’ve cleaned it up in preparation for that deconstruction.
But Grace Ramirez, an Xcel community liaison, said the company has heard neighbors’ calls to save the space. Those ongoing conversations led to the utility giving Denver a right of first refusal, she added.
“We are, no matter what, committed to having a conversation about a community benefit,” she said. “What does a community benefit for this property look like, for the community, for the neighborhood?”
But something needs to happen soon, Ramirez told us.
“It’s an old building, and we’ve delayed really moving forward with our Public-Utility-Commission-approved plan,” she said. “From a safety perspective, we think its imperative to move forward with this next step.”
In their letter, Xcel requested that Denver either buy the property or waive their right of first refusal. If the city opts out, Xcel will put the old power plant up for general sale for 30 days; if nobody buys it then, they’ll move toward demolition.
A rendering of what Xcel Energy’s old Zuni Generating Station could look like if it was saved through adaptive reuse.Courtesy: Sun Valley Community Coalition
Community members are urging the city to act, and they’re worried this is all happening too fast.
“This happened kind of all of a sudden,” Jeanne Granville, president of the Sun Valley Community Coalition, told us after Ramirez informed her about the letter. “This is an important time, obviously, because the city is a key player, potentially, in this.”
“Potentially” is the key word there.
Last November, Granville’s neighborhood group penned a letter with 33 other organizations, asking Mayor Johnston to help them save the generating station.
“We are concerned that this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity could quickly slip away,” they wrote.
But Granville said she’s not sure where the mayor is on this question. She heard he toured the site, but it’s still unclear whether he’ll be game to buy it.
(Denverite write a follow-up if and when we hear his position on this.)
Glenn Harper, founder of Sun Valley Kitchen, and Jeanne Granville, head of the Sun Valley Community Coalition, chat in Harper’s space on Decatur Street. April 19, 2024.Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
John Deffenbaugh, the president and CEO of Historic Denver who helped coordinate the community letter to Johnston, said he’s yet to have any discussion with the city about this, despite some prodding.
He gets that Johnston has been very busy, he told us, but Xcel’s new 90-day notice has created new pressure to act. He has plans to prod the city, again, this week.
“We will be asking for a meeting,” he said.
City Council member Jamie Torres, whose district includes Sun Valley and the generating station, said any moves towards demolition will probably trigger a historic landmark review, which could force Xcel to change their plans.
“Is there some middle ground? Possibly,” Torres wrote to us. “This is a huge opportunity for dialogue.”
Ramirez said Xcel recognizes they could get gummed up by the landmark review, but told us she’s not sure a historic designation would actually happen.
“We feel pretty strongly it’d be pretty hard to reuse the building,” she said, adding that any new plan would also need to clear an onerous approval from state regulators.
If the plant is saved, it’ll need a lot more remediation to make it safe for public use. Who would pay for that extra work is another open question, and the city has said they’re not up for it.
But Granville and Deffenbaugh are still hopeful Johnston will come around. They’ll need his help to do anything here, Deffenbaugh said, and told us he thinks we owe it to the old generating station. It enabled Denver’s existence, he said, and we should remember that.
“It’s presence has been so key for Denver to grow,” Deffenbaugh said. “It almost needs the city’s help now, for the city to give back.”
Viviendas multifamiliares con un pasillo que divide una sección de la otra, o slot homes (por su nombre en inglés), en el vecindario de Jefferson Park. 5 de junio de 2022. Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
More Denverites say their city is doing better now than they did in August 2023.
Nearly three-quarters of Denverites say they feel safe in the city — and that number has risen over the past year.
A majority of residents are not particularly concerned about the revitalization of Downtown Denver, with 55 percent not viewing it as a top priority.
Residents continue to be concerned with homelessness, a lack of housing affordability and crime.
All that’s according to the nonprofit Colorado Polling Institute’s bipartisan survey of 409 registered voters in Denver.
The institute now regularly surveys residents to track how voters’ perceptions of their city, leaders and pressing issues are changing.
The Democratic firm Aspect Strategic and the Republican firm New Bridge Strategy conducted the survey. The firms surveyed participants by phone and online from June 13 to 18. The poll’s margin of error is just under 5 percent.
Most residents love city services, and most are okay with paying for them.
Still, for 35 percent, Denver taxes are “way too high.”
Another 29 percent said they’re “high but acceptable.” And 35 percent said they were “about right” or “lower than one would expect.”
This is the first time the Colorado Polling Institute has asked about attitudes toward taxation. The questions come months ahead of the November election when Denver voters will likely be weighing two sales-tax increases.
Still, 65 percent of those surveyed are pleased with the services the local government offers and are totally satisfied with Denver as a place to live.
How do the people feel about their leaders?
Mayor Mike Johnston’s approval rating rose to 48 percent.
The number of people who were uncertain about his performance fell, and the number of those who disapproved of his leadership grew to 11 percent
Of those who think Johnston’s doing a good job, 42 percent say he’s handling homelessness well, and 18 percent say he’s getting things done, trying and keeping his promises.
“Mayor Johnston took office amid high voter concern on homelessness, crime, and the cost of living in the city, and his first year was further complicated by the influx of migrants from Central and South America,” Weigel said. “Against that backdrop, his favorability has improved slightly and voters do sense — albeit slightly — that progress is being made.”
The Denver School Board’s reputation is overwhelmingly negative, but improving over the past year. .
Meanwhile, while the Denver Police Department’s approval has fallen a bit, it’s largely remained steady.
What do people like — and hate — about Denver.
For those who love Denver, here are the top reasons they enjoy the city ranked: weather, cultural amenities and activities, friendly/nice people, proximity to the mountains, beauty, city parks and outdoor activities.
The top problems of people who have an unfavorable view of the city: drugs, crime and a lack of safety; the cost of living; homelessness and encampments; housing costs; illegal immigration; roads and infrastructure; environmental, trash and pollution problems; overcrowding; high taxes; and a lack of police funding and training.
People across the city are facing financial struggles, renters more than owners.
In total, 89 percent of renters say they feel financial strain, whereas just 45 percent of homeowners do.
Though housing affordability is cited as a significant problem for many, the economy as a whole is viewed as much better than it was 20 years ago.
New Denverites have a more favorable perspective of the city than those who have been here for more than 10 years.
“On the one hand, most voters believe Denver is a good, safe place to live with an acceptable level of taxation and decent city services,” said Kevin Ingham of Aspect Strategic. “Yet, despite largely positive personal experiences, many also see ongoing challenges, which aren’t seen as unique to Denver but nonetheless drive some worries about the direction of the city.”
Mayor Mike Johnston announces budget cuts and changes to Denver’s immigrant programs at the City and County Building on Wednesday, April 10, 2024.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
A scammer is trying to take advantage of young people interested in applying to Denver YouthWorks, the city’s program that will give students who work 100 hours over the summer a $1,000 stipend.
The group behind the messages said it would offer students help finding jobs and qualify for the $1,000 bonus the city was offering.
Sadly, for the students, the offer was too good to be true.
“Unfortunately, after an individual provides their personal information, the scam organization asks to send them money for services that never materialize,” according to a statement from Denver Public Schools.
“The YouthWorks Initiative will never ask you to pay to be included in the program,” the district added in a statement. “To make sure that you are on the right track, go to www.denvergov.org/youthsummer. From there, you will find all of the details and the legitimate link to apply to the program.”
The district is also encouraging students to attend the city’s hiring fairs. One is online today, May 24, from 4 to 5 p.m., and the other is in person on Saturday, June 1, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the PPA Event Center, 2015 Decatur St.
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston announces the city’s priorities for 2024, during a press conference Monday, Feb. 26, 2024 at the City and County Building.
Hart Van Denburg/CPR News
Ten months into his first term, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston has nominated someone to fill his final open appointment.
If approved by City Council, Karin McGowan will take over as head of the Department of Public Health and Environment, the agency that handles everything from air quality and noise pollution to overdose prevention, immunization and the animal shelter.
“Throughout her career, Karin has stewarded equitable public health and environmental outcomes across Colorado and knows how to deliver strong and healthy communities,” Johnston said in a statement Thursday.
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston has nominated Karin McGowan to lead the city’s Department of Public Health and Environment.Courtesy of the mayor’s office
Johnston’s nominee has longstanding ties to state politics.
McGowan worked for a decade at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, including a stint as deputy director. At CDPHE, she led communications, legislative affairs, the Office of Health Equity, the Office of Emergency Planning and Response, and the Office of Planning and Partnership.
CDPHE navigated cannabis legalization, the 2015 Gold King Mine Spill and the COVID-19 pandemic under her leadership.
McGowan also served as assistant director for external affairs for Great Outdoors Colorado and worked in Governor Roy Romer’s administration.
Gov. Jared Polis later appointed McGowan to the Energy and Carbon Management Conservation Commission. She has also worked at the Denver Regional Council of Governments, heading up both policy development and communication efforts.
Unlike many of Johnston’s political appointments, McGowan is not a holdover from the Hancock years.
If confirmed, McGowan will follow Interim Director Alice Nightengale, who has served in the role since March, when Hancock appointee Bob McDonald retired.
“We conducted a thorough and meticulous search for this position because we knew we wanted a candidate with world-class talent, and we found exactly what we were looking for with Karin,” Johnston explained.
Correction: This story originally stated Bob McDonald was the current head of DDPHE. It has been updated to note that he retired in March and had been replaced, in the interim, by Alice Nightengale.
That was Paul Lopez’s response to Mayor Mike Johnston’s office requesting the Clerk and Recorder for the City and County of Denver cut a million dollars from its budget.
Budget cuts impact “our ability to ensure a secure election, to ensure a transparent election and to ensure access… You cannot run an election without the proper resources to be able to do so. The good thing is that I’m also an independent elected official. I don’t work for the mayor. I don’t answer to the mayor. The people of the City and County of Denver elected me to to oversee the elections processes, to administer the elections processes and make sure that we have the resources to do so,” Lopez said.
Lopez is in charge of the department that’s responsible for elections, as well as marriage licenses, land transactions and foreclosure processes.
“We need personnel. We have to have equipment that is maintained, that is secure. Our voting centers have to be secure, our equipment has to be operational, we have to have cameras on all of our boxes. It is a one heck of an operation,” Lopez said of the upcoming elections his office will oversee.
In November, Lopez and the clerk and recorder’s office will be tasked with overseeing four elections, according to Lopez – most notably the 2024 presidential election.
“There’s no possible way. And no scenario in which we can run an election in 2024 – four elections, including a presidential election, and be able to maintain the same level of service, the same level of excellence,” Lopez said.
Moreover, the office of the clerk and recorder was already asked to trim their budget for the year, according to Lopez.
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He sent a letter to Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and all 13 city council members last year expressing his frustration over a cut to his budget proposal that would expand the elections office and enhance security.
Lopez originally submitted a one-time $942,000 request in the budget for these improvements. He said those improvements were instead allocated $175,000 — a decrease of more than 80%.
During that discussion last year, Mayor Johnston’s team sent a statement that read: “The Mayor’s Office is committed to supporting and prioritizing the Clerk and Recorder’s work to ensure secure elections in Denver, which is why the 2024 proposed budget increases the budget for the Elections division by 25%, significantly greater than the 3.7% increase in the overall general fund budget.
Lopez’s office responded to that statement, noting the elections budget fluctuates based on the number and type of elections held each year.
“It’s a very slippery slope in terms of, you know, what that says across the country for folks who are trying to maintain their elections budget, and are seeing folks trying to encroach on that and try to defund elections,” Lopez said.
And he also explained his issues with the mayor office’s reasoning for asking his department to take another hit.
“I also think it’s kind of a false narrative, to say that the city budget shortfall is because of the migrant crisis, I think it’s scapegoating. I think it’s, frankly, irresponsible and dangerous,” Lopez said.
He believes it stems from something more internal.
“There are contracts and there are, you know, movements that the mayor’s office has made in a rush to advance political goals and campaign promises that have contributed to the dip in the city budget,” Lopez said.
The office of the clerk and recorder is not the only one being asked to trim down their department across the City of Denver.
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“Every city agency has been asked to identify budget savings, including DDPHE. We don’t have specifics yet and don’t expect to have those for a few more months,” the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment said.
But the office of the clerk and recorder was one of the first to get specifics on cuts.
“The Mayor has asked every city agency, including the Department of Public Safety, to begin to identify budget savings proposals for 2024. It is too early right now to say what specific savings will be within our department until we have had the time to assess and identify options. We expect to have more to share on this in April,” the Department of Public Safety for the City and County of Denver said.
Among the DMV, Denver Parks & Recreation and office of the clerk and recorder asked to find wiggle room in their budgets is the Office of the Denver District Attorney.
“Our total budget from which we have to cut 5% is $44,164,752,” the Office of the Denver District Attorney said.
We have reached out to the mayor’s office for comment on Lopez’s response to this most recent budget cut and are waiting to hear back. We will update this story when we do.
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston announces cuts to city services to deal with migrant crisis
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