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Polis Joins Business Leaders Warning State Policies Driving Companies Out Of Colorado
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

Polis Joins Business Leaders Warning State Policies Driving Companies Out Of Colorado

By Mark Samuelson | The Denver Gazette Is Colorado scaring away corporate expansions and entrepreneurs that had once made the state a magnet for high-tech business growth? That’s the assertion of a letter signed by more than 200 business and technology leaders, addressed to Gov. Jared Polis, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, Democratic senatorial candidates and other political leaders. Notably, one of the signers is Polis himself. Boulder entrepreneur Dan Caruso told The Denver Gazette that after he drove an effort to draft the missive, warning that political messaging is damaging the state’s business competitiveness, Polis had reached out. The governor offered to join in signing the letter and presenting it. “It wasn’t hard to get huge support,” Caruso ...
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Partisan Divide Sharpens Over Colorado Spending Plan As $46.8B Budget Moves to Senate
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

Partisan Divide Sharpens Over Colorado Spending Plan As $46.8B Budget Moves to Senate

By Marissa Ventrelli | The Denver Gazette The battle over Colorado’s proposed $46.8 billion spending plan for next year shifted to the state Senate, which must decide whether to acquiesce to changes made by the House. The senators could also decide to adopt their own changes, which would force the two bodies to reconcile their differences. The state constitution requires a balanced budget, although that rarely stays balanced for long, and this year, lawmakers must plug a deficit of more than $1 billion. The proposed budget is actually bigger than the current year’s spending plan, driven by Medicaid costs. In the Senate, the budget is sponsored by Joint Budget Committee members Sens. Jeff Bridges, D‑Greenwood Village, Barbara Kirkmeyer, R‑Brighton, and Judy Amabi...
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Denver Council Considers Data Center Moratorium And Multimillion Dollar Contracts
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Denver Council Considers Data Center Moratorium And Multimillion Dollar Contracts

By Deborah Grigsby | The Denver Gazette The Denver City Council will introduce a bill on Monday that would place a one-year moratorium on the acceptance or processing of certain permit and site development plan applications in which a data center is the proposed primary use. Because data centers are not specifically regulated within Denver and have no specific permitting requirements, city officials want to press the “pause” button to give the city time to develop “thoughtful regulations” that address community safety and equity. If ordered published, a public hearing on the matter will be held May 18. Next, the council will also introduce legislation to establish an annual donation of bison to American Indian tribes and American Indian nonprofits. The City and ...
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RTD Leadership Shift Ahead As CEO Johnson Announces Departure Timeline
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

RTD Leadership Shift Ahead As CEO Johnson Announces Departure Timeline

By Daniel Boniface | The Denver Gazette Debra Johnson, the CEO and general manager of the Regional Transportation District, announced Wednesday that she will step down from her role at the end of her contract, the transit agency told The Denver Gazette. Johnson sent an email to employees saying she had declined an offer from RTD’s board to extend her contract beyond its May 8, 2027, expiration, citing “personal and professional reasons” and noting her years of service, according to the email provided by RTD. “With this information in mind, please know that I will continue to steadfastly lead this organization with purpose and intentionality, as I have been doing since Nov. 9, 2020, until my contract sunsets next year,” Johnson wrote. RTD Board Chairman Patrick O...
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Suburban Voters In Lakewood Reject Multi Unit Housing Expansion Plan
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Suburban Voters In Lakewood Reject Multi Unit Housing Expansion Plan

By Sage Kelley | The Denver Gazette Lakewood voters rebuffed zoning changes approved by the City Council that seek to allow for more housing “density,” according to the initial and unofficial count Tuesday night. It’s the second time in five months that metro Denver voters have rejected efforts to permit multiplexes and similar types of housing in mostly single-family home neighborhoods. Last November, Littleton residents also sided with critics in voting against the city’s “density” campaign. A group of Lakewood residents gathered sufficient signatures to force a public vote on a 400-page zoning code update and four related ordinances approved by the City Council last year. The measures aim to spur multifamily housing development, according to supporters. Critics...
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Colorado Lawmakers Advance Painful Budget Cuts Amid Billion Dollar Shortfall
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

Colorado Lawmakers Advance Painful Budget Cuts Amid Billion Dollar Shortfall

By Marianne Goodland | The Denver Gazette The panel of Colorado legislators in charge of crafting next year’s budget has finalized the 2026–27 spending plan built on deep cuts and one‑time cash transfers in an attempt to close a shortfall of more than $1.2 billion. The plan is leaving lawmakers frustrated with the reductions to core services. Some cited cuts to health care programs for children and families, though others argued the spending plan “protects what matters most.” That $1.2 billion figure comes from the governor’s economic forecast. The legislature’s economists, however, warned of an even bigger deficit at around $1.5 billion. A combination of factors have led to Colorado’s budget woes. Democrats have pointed to the congressional budget approved last...
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Douglas County Launches Red Tape Reduction Task Force To Speed Commercial Development
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Douglas County Launches Red Tape Reduction Task Force To Speed Commercial Development

By Nicholas Fogleman | The Denver Gazette Douglas County kicked off its first Red Tape Reduction Task Force Thursday aimed at speeding up commercial and industrial development timelines in the county, a move leaders said is necessary to keep the county competitive with other regions nationwide. The task force will review the county’s development and regulatory processes to identify permitting “hurdles” in an effort to attract and retain businesses. Douglas County Commissioner Kevin Van Winkle said delays can stem from a range of issues, including complex regulatory requirements or delays with referral agencies. “Sometimes it might be securing power or water for a project and what that looks like. Other times, it could just be administrative hurdles that are unne...
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Colorado Medicaid Chief Resigns Amid Bipartisan Outcry Over Costs And Mismanagement
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

Colorado Medicaid Chief Resigns Amid Bipartisan Outcry Over Costs And Mismanagement

By Marianne Goodland | The Denver Gazette Colorado’s top Medicaid official stepped down on Monday, just as a bipartisan bloc of state senators prepared to formally urge Gov. Jared Polis to remove her over what they called years of mismanagement, waste and costly errors inside the state’s largest agency. One legislator seeking the resignation of Kim Bimestefer, executive direct or of the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, called the leadership change a “necessary step toward accountability.” Bimestefer had been under fire from critics, who questioned how health officials have remained in their roles amid what they described as mismanagement at the state Medicaid program, which is beset by allegations of fraud, abuse and runaway spending. The program’...
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Lawsuit Fallout Could Cost Turnberry Residents Millions In New Taxes
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Lawsuit Fallout Could Cost Turnberry Residents Millions In New Taxes

By Sage Kelley | The Denver Gazette Homeowners of a small neighborhood in Commerce City remain confused and irate about the future of their property taxes in the aftermath of a lawsuit between the metropolitan district where they live and a bank. The conflict stems from a 2023 lawsuit in which UMB Bank in its capacity as trustee, alleged the BNC2 Metropolitan District No. 2 was improperly diverting property tax revenue for “administration and operations,” rather than paying back the bonds on which the property taxes were assessed. BNC2, a metro district of about 330 homes, oversees one-third of the Turnberry development. Other lawsuits between three metro districts alleged the administrator overseeing BNC2 at the time — and many other metro districts — took cont...
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Drought Conditions Prompt Water Use Warnings Across Douglas County
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Drought Conditions Prompt Water Use Warnings Across Douglas County

By Nicholas Fogleman | The Denver Gazette Three Douglas County water providers are urging residents to conserve water as the region emerges from a warm, dry winter that has strained water resources. Castle Rock Water, Highlands Ranch Water and Parker Water & Sanitation asked customers to use water wisely and avoid unnecessary waste as irrigation season approaches, according to a joint news release issued Monday. “We want residents to be mindful of how and when they use water, especially outdoors,” Castle Rock Water Director Mark Marlowe said in the release. “Simple steps like checking your irrigation system for leaks or watering only when your landscapes need it can help prevent unnecessary waste.” As of March 17, more than 85% of Douglas County re...
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