Aurora Pushes Back on Polis’ Power Play Over Local Housing

By: Michael A. Hancock | Commentary, The Denver Gazette

Aurora has experienced rapid growth in recent decades. With new neighborhoods, transit corridors and shifting demographics come tough land-use choices: where to build housing, protect open space, manage traffic, and preserve neighborhood character. We understand our communities better than distant state bureaucrats ever could. That’s what home rule is meant to guarantee. But today, Gov. Jared Polis and the Colorado legislature are challenging that guarantee – not with persuasion, but with edicts and threats of financial punishment.

Aurora can’t stand silent.

Colorado’s Constitution enshrines home rule in Article XX, Section 6, which grants municipalities the right to govern “matters of local concern,” including planning, zoning, and land use. That means Aurora’s City Council, staff experts, and residents – not the State Capitol – should decide how our city grows. Local decision-making isn’t just symbolic; it’s practical. Aurora’s land, infrastructure, transit access, utilities, and neighborhoods all interlock uniquely. One-size mandates from the Capitol can’t account for those nuances.

In 2024, the state passed sweeping land-use laws – HB 24-1304, eliminating parking minimums in many zones, and HB 24-1313, mandating higher densities near transit corridors. These laws rewire local zoning authority, enshrining uniform rules that undercut Aurora’s ability to tailor decisions for its neighborhoods.

Then, on Aug. 13, Polis signed an executive order threatening to withhold $280 million in grant funding from municipalities that don’t comply with these new mandates. By forcing local governments to choose between their constitutional challenge and vital state grants, the state is using financial leverage as a means of coercion.

If Aurora loses this fight, several dangerous precedents are set:

READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT THE DENVER GAZETTE

Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the constitutional right of the author to express those opinions.