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Denver City Council braces for layoffs, deep cuts—but Mayor Johnston delays details
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Approved, Denverite, Local

Denver City Council braces for layoffs, deep cuts—but Mayor Johnston delays details

By Kyle Harris | Denverite Here’s what Denver City Council members said at their big budget meeting. The Denver City Council met atop Lookout Mountain at Golden’s Boettcher Mansion last week to plan for the 2026 budget. The elected leaders knew they would likely need to make cuts — but nobody knew just how bad the city’s fiscal situation might be. “I’ve been hearing rumors of layoffs and furloughs,” Councilmember Stacie Gilmore said as the all-day meeting began on Friday. The city’s rumor mill is spinning furiously, with some employees fearing budget cuts up to 30 percent, Gilmore said. That would be an extraordinarily high number for an overall budget cut, considering city revenues shrank by 9 percent amid the 2008 financial crisis. Asked for more detail, Gilmore reiterated...
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Denver advances NWSL stadium plan with unclear funding, councilwoman warns of tradeoffs
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Denver advances NWSL stadium plan with unclear funding, councilwoman warns of tradeoffs

By Deborah Grigsby | Denver Gazette Members of the Denver City Council approved an intergovernmental agreement between the city and the Broadway Station Metropolitan District, which moves the city closer to having a National Women’s Soccer League stadium at Santa Fe Yards at a potential price tag of $70 million. That price tag still needs the council's final approval in a vote expected several months away. The City Council chambers erupted in applause on Monday after the 11-1 vote, which followed an extended discussion of the agreements and what exactly the city is “on the hook for.” Although approval of the IGA does not obligate the city to the funding, according to City Attorney Brad Neiman, it provides the framework for the public-private partnership discussion to move forwa...
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Denver approves executive pay hikes while facing budget shortfall and reserve drop
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Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

Denver approves executive pay hikes while facing budget shortfall and reserve drop

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice A set of salary increases for top Denver officials is drawing criticism, as the city faces continued financial strain and modest pay growth for most employees. The raises are included in the 2025 budget—totaling $1.76 billion—which the Denver City Council approved on November 12, 2024.  On May 6, the City Council’s Finance & Governance Committee approved nearly $500,000 in pay increases for 12 charter-appointed department heads. These changes are expected to add over $216,000 to general fund expenditures this year, with individual increases ranging from 4% up to an eye-catching 43%. The new salaries are scheduled to take effect on July 1. The move has sparked frustration among some observers, who point to small...
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Denver kills camera contract over ICE fears, leaving crime-fighting tools off the table
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Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Denver kills camera contract over ICE fears, leaving crime-fighting tools off the table

By Heather Willard | Fox31 DENVER (KDVR) — On May 5, the Denver City Council failed to approve a contract extension with Flock, a tech surveillance company that has been contracted to provide over 100 license plate readers around the county. The city first contracted with Flock in March 2023, with the original agreement lasting through the end of this February. The amendment would have extended the contract by another two years for $666,000. The original contract cost the city $339,450, but the cost wasn’t the main reason why council members voted no. Instead, the members cited privacy concerns, questioning who has access to the data as Denver continues to remain in the crosshairs of the Trump Administration for so-called “sanctuary laws.” Members worried that ...
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Denver council weighs $70M pitch for soccer stadium expected to bring $2.2B
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Denver council weighs $70M pitch for soccer stadium expected to bring $2.2B

By Deborah Grigsby | Denver Gazette As Denver's elected officials weigh a push for $70 million in spending along Interstate 25 and Broadway Avenue, economists and business leaders hope the buzz around the city’s new National Women’s Soccer League team rubs off on councilmembers who have pushed back on the project’s price tag. Supporters argued that the proposed stadium would serve as a major economic "jolt" to South Broadway, while councilmembers are worried about shrinking revenues and redirecting interest money originally slated for a slew of projects funded by a bond voters approved a few years ago.    City economists published a 19-page economic impact study last week, projecting that a 14,500-seat stadium and entertainment district could generate $2.2 billion in eco...
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Denver City Council leaders reject $3 million contract with Salvation Army for homeless services
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Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

Denver City Council leaders reject $3 million contract with Salvation Army for homeless services

By Gabriela Vidal | CBS Colorado Former case managers have spoken out about working conditions in Denver's homeless shelters. Now, city council members are rejecting a new contract with the Salvation Army. "I'm thankful I left when I did," said one former case manager who spoke with CBS Colorado on the condition of anonymity. That is the sentiment shared among three former case managers, after working in one of the city of Denver's homeless shelters, managed by the Salvation Army. Each of the three former case managers chose to remain anonymous as they have since taken other jobs in a similar field.  "When I walked out and got into my truck on my last night, I broke down into tears because it just felt like the stress was off my shoulders finally," said one of the ...
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Downtown Denver Partnership gets a $1.5 million boost, city settles another police liability claim
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Downtown Denver Partnership gets a $1.5 million boost, city settles another police liability claim

By Deborah Grigsby | Denver Gazette The Denver City Council approved a resolution Monday night, clearing the way for an additional cash infusion to provide “activation activities related to the reopening of the 16th Street Mall in downtown Denver.”  Council Resolution 25-0191 amends a contract with the Downtown Denver Partnership, adding $1.5 million – for a new total of $1.9 million – for events and permanent installations that draw crowds, as well as increased safety and operations, according to city documents. The resolution, a late filing by City Council President Amanda Sandoval, conjured mixed reactions among some council members. At-Large Councilmember Sarah Parady called the resolution out, citing concerns with “the budget environment that we’re in and that we’re g...
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Denver 911 proposes double fees to improve response time, keep operations afloat
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, Local

Denver 911 proposes double fees to improve response time, keep operations afloat

By Deborah Grigsby | Colorado Politics Denver's public safety agency is pushing to roughly double the fee for 911 emergency services, arguing it's necessary to keep operations afloat and meet response time requirements.  The proposed fee hike — from $1.20 to $2.12 per month —  would apply to all residents who have a phone, whether landline or mobile, registered in the city.   “This change will allow us to maintain operations through the rest of 2025 and set us up for success in some of the infrastructure and staffing moves that we've been making over the last few years,” Dameron said. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
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Long-term parking for United, fire trucks on Denver’s Council agenda
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Long-term parking for United, fire trucks on Denver’s Council agenda

By Deborah Grigsby | The Denver Gazette Like the rest of Denver, United Airlines loves a good long-term parking spot. On Monday, the Denver City Council will consider a resolution for a 30-year ground lease for aircraft parking at Denver International Airport. This lease gets United 909,439 square feet of ground space at DIA to construct, operate and maintain, at its sole cost, an aircraft parking area for up to five wide-body or 20 narrow-body aircraft. According to city documents, rental payments will be charged at the current 2025 ground rent of $1.03 per square foot for an annual rate of $936,722.69. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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New gas station construction will be limited by new Denver ordinance
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Approved, kdvr.com, Local

New gas station construction will be limited by new Denver ordinance

By Maddie Rhodes | Fox 31 News On Tuesday, the Denver City Council approved an ordinance limiting gas stations around the city to address the housing crisis. According to the city council in a press release, the ordinance amends the Denver Zoning Code and updates Denver’s land use policy on gas station development. In short, new gas stations cannot be built in certain parts of Denver. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 31 NEWS
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