Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Denver Politics

Denver Mayor Accused Of Raiding Election Funds To Fill Budget Gap
Local, Approved, denvergazette.com

Denver Mayor Accused Of Raiding Election Funds To Fill Budget Gap

By Deborah Grigsby | The Denver Gazette Denver Clerk and Recorder Paul López earlier asked the "Vibrant Denver Bond" committee for $43 million for new storage space to secure the city’s election equipment and historical documents, some dating as far back as the 1800s. What he got from Mayor Mike Johnston was an order to slash $4 million from the department's budget. During a July 28 Denver City Council meeting, District 7 Councilwoman Flor Alvidrez had sought an amendment to include the elections facility proposal in the $950 million bond package, which will go to voters this November. The amendment failed. Lòpez told The Denver Gazette that, in his 18-year career as a Denver elected official, “this is the first time, and the only time, the mayor has actually tried to raid i...
Governor Solicits Input After Millions Already Spent on Pedestrian Project
Local, Approved, Colorado Politics

Governor Solicits Input After Millions Already Spent on Pedestrian Project

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics Gov. Jared Polis is asking Coloradans to weigh in on the $29 million pedestrian bridge he envisions as part of the state's 150th birthday celebration. However, the bridge project, which will primarily be funded by private donations, is facing challenges in its next step: securing approval from the legislature's Capital Development Committee. The bridge, according to its design, will connect the grounds of the state Capitol across Lincoln Street to Lincoln Veterans Memorial Park, and then across Broadway to Civic Center Park. The state has already allocated $8.5 million of taxpayer money to initiate the project, but the remaining funds will need to be raised through private donations. The initial cost is $18 million, but an additional $10...
Denver City Council Eyes Risky Shift to Ranked-Choice Voting for Local Elections
Local, Approved, Axios Denver

Denver City Council Eyes Risky Shift to Ranked-Choice Voting for Local Elections

By Esteban L. Hernandez | Axios Denver If Denver's current municipal election system isn't broken, why fix it? The big picture: It's a refrain from Denver City Council members opposing a bill that would change city elections to ranked choice voting. Yes, but: Despite reservations, they advanced the bill Tuesday to the full council. Why it matters: Voters may decide this fall whether to fundamentally change how local elections work. The other side: Council members who back the bill, including Sarah Parady and Darrell Watson, say it will boost turnout, increase candidate engagement with voters and save money. How it works: Ranked choice voting allows people to rank candidates in order of preference when multiple contestants are available (...