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Denver’s mayor ‘factually incorrect’ as he argued for sales tax hike, state senator says
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Approved, Denverite, Local

Denver’s mayor ‘factually incorrect’ as he argued for sales tax hike, state senator says

By Andrew Kenney | Denverite Mayor Mike Johnston recently faced a tough question about his proposal to pay for affordable housing by raising taxes, and he appeared to get a significant fact wrong when he gave the answer. The question was about Ballot Measure 2R, which would collect about $100 million a year by raising local sales taxes. Paul Karolyi, a host of the City Cast Denver podcast, asked Johnston in an interview why he wanted to increase sales taxes. Sales taxes are regressive, meaning they have a greater proportional impact on lower-income people. Karolyi asked why the measure didn’t tax property owners instead. READ THE FULL STORY AT DENVERITE
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How three fraudulent ballots got through the mail-in voting process in Mesa County
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Approved, Local, The Business Times

How three fraudulent ballots got through the mail-in voting process in Mesa County

By Craig Hall and Brandon Leuallen, The Business Times Even with several tiers of signature auditing in place, the sheer volume of votes in process leaves Colorado’s system open to fraud and mistakes while putting the onus on individuals. According to Mesa County Clerk Bobbie Gross, the 12 fraudulent ballots under current investigation were all set aside for the envelope signatures not matching by the automated equipment used by the county. “And while that’s all part of the process, the factis our equipment sets aside about 50% of early ballot envelopes due to signatures not matching. Unless it’s an exact, or almost exact, match, the equipment kicks the envelope out,” said Gross, “And not all counties in Colorado even have the automated equipmentneeded for the first step in the autho...
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Aurora police e-mails reveal internal conflicts, political concerns with Tren De Aragua
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, Local

Aurora police e-mails reveal internal conflicts, political concerns with Tren De Aragua

By Nicole C. Brambila | Colorado Politics Aurora officials knew, or strongly suspected, for much longer than previously disclosed that the Venezuelan gang operating in their city was much larger than a handful of members at a single apartment complex, according to emails obtained by The Denver Gazette. Authenticated by city officials, the cache represented more than two dozen internal Aurora Police Department emails dating back to Sept. 11, 2023. This is nearly a year before it was publicly known that the Venezuelan prison gang known as Tren de Aragua (TdA) was operating in the Denver metro area and before city officials shuttered an apartment complex. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
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Senate District 16 Showdown: Robyn Carnes vs. Chris Kolker
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Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

Senate District 16 Showdown: Robyn Carnes vs. Chris Kolker

By Heidi Ganahl | Rocky Mountain Voice In the race for Colorado’s Senate District 16, which represents Denver’s western suburbs, residents have a choice between incumbent Democratic Sen. Chris Kolker or Republican challenger Robyn Carnes. Each candidate brings a unique perspective, but they differ sharply in approach and priorities. Carnes, a Centennial City Council member and business leader, aims to tackle affordability, housing and public safety with a fresh and service-oriented mindset. Kolker, elected in 2021, seeks to continue his legislative work, but may face scrutiny over his effectiveness on core issues like cost of living, housing and his approach to public safety. Carnes brings a wealth of community-oriented experience, serving as a Centennial City Council member and a...
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Denver may ease needle exchange restrictions near schools and day cares
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Approved, Local, Newsmax

Denver may ease needle exchange restrictions near schools and day cares

By David Heitz | Newsbreak The Denver City Council may remove some restrictions on needle exchange centers. The Budget and Policy Committee of the council will consider an ordinance next week that would remove the 1,000-foot buffer requirement for needle exchange centers from schools and day care centers. It also would eliminate a rule that only three needle exchange centers to operate in the county. “These restrictions have no public health or public safety benefit,” according to a presentation by city staff to the committee. State lawmakers already removed a requirement that local boards of health grant permits for the needle exchanges, the presentation states. Council members Sarah Parady and Serena Gonzales Guttierez sponsored the ordinance. They say the changes are ...
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Return to Nature owners plead guilty to wire fraud charge at federal court hearing
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, Local

Return to Nature owners plead guilty to wire fraud charge at federal court hearing

By Zachary Dupont | Colorado Politics, via The Gazette Return to Nature Funeral Home owners Jon and Carie Hallford appeared in federal court on Thursday to accept a plea deal, which could land the couple in prison for up to 15 years.  In September, Jon and Carie Hallford, the owners of Return to Nature Funeral Home, filed a notice of disposition and a motion requesting a change of plea on the 15 counts of wire fraud the pair face in federal court.  The funeral home, about 35 miles southwest of Colorado Springs, came under a multi-agency investigation in October after reports of a complaint about a foul odor in the area. Investigators said they found nearly 190 bodies in various states of decomposition that were not properly stored. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO...
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Report: Venezuelan TDA gang ‘decided to make Denver their headquarters in the U.S.’
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Report: Venezuelan TDA gang ‘decided to make Denver their headquarters in the U.S.’

By Nicole C. Brambila | Denver Gazette The Venezuelan prison gang known as Tren de Aragua (TdA) eyed Denver as its headquarters in the U.S., according to internal communications within the Aurora Police Department. The internal communications were citing federal intelligence reports.    “Intelligence from ICE is that TdA has decided to make Denver their headquarters in the U.S. and will be violent toward anyone who encroaches on their territory,” one police bulletin from October 2023 said. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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Ballot measure asks Westminster voters for sales tax increase for fire stations, personnel
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Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

Ballot measure asks Westminster voters for sales tax increase for fire stations, personnel

By Gabriela Vidal | CBS Colorado When it comes to fighting fires, Westminster firefighter August Rasche says every second counts. "A fire typically doubles in size every two minutes," Rasche said. "The standard that we operate under is a four-minute response time." Rasche, who is also the executive board member for the Westminster Professional Firefighters Union (Local 2889), says this standard is becoming harder to meet as the city's population keeps growing. "In the last 20 years, Westminster has grown fire quite a bit. One thing that has not grown is the Westminster fire department. We have the same number of stations, the same number of ambulances, same number of engines as we had 20 years ago," Rasche said. READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
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Some Trinidad voters received ballots without 2A hotel-motel tax measure, replacement ballots on the way
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Approved, Fox21, Local

Some Trinidad voters received ballots without 2A hotel-motel tax measure, replacement ballots on the way

By Norishka Pachot | Fox 21 News Voters in the City of Trinidad may have noticed something was missing from their ballot when they were sent. On Tuesday, Oct. 22, Las Animas County issued a letter addressing the error and what citizens who were affected should do. Some ballots sent to voters in Trinidad did not contain the city of Trinidad’s TABOR issue, also known as Ballot Measure 2A. The measure would fund improvements to parks, playgrounds, open spaces, and other spaces that need it. The proposed tax would be paid by hotel, motel, and Airbnb guests. Voters affected live in portions of Precinct Six on the western side of Trinidad. The Las Animas County Clerk and Recorder reported the error to the Secretary of State’s Office and obtained guidance on the best way to fix the corre...
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Kara Skinner, who served two years as CFO for Boulder, will leave post Nov. 8 for Florida
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Approved, BizWest, Local

Kara Skinner, who served two years as CFO for Boulder, will leave post Nov. 8 for Florida

By BizWest Kara Skinner, chief financial officer for the City of Boulder, will leave her city post on Nov. 8 to accept a consulting position at a Florida-based company. According to the announcement made Thursday by Boulder city manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde, Skinner will work remotely as a fiscal director in the government-consulting section of Tampa, Florida-based MGT Consulting. “It has been an incredible privilege to serve our city for the past seven years, and I am leaving with only the deepest respect for my many talented colleagues and the Boulder community,” Skinner said in a prepared statement. “This decision will allow me to continue to provide strategic counsel in my chosen profession while also letting me spend more time in another role I love, as a grandmother.” ...
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