Rocky Mountain Voice

Menu

Tag: Denver

Polis threatens to withhold $280M from cities defying housing laws in new executive order
No Comments
DENVER7, Approved, State

Polis threatens to withhold $280M from cities defying housing laws in new executive order

By Brandon Richard | Denver7 In a new executive order, Gov. Jared Polis identified more than 30 funding sources the state could withhold from cities. DENVER — Colorado Gov. Jared Polis is turning up the heat on cities that aren’t following new state housing laws. He issued a new executive order on Wednesday that identifies $280 million in funding that could be withheld from them. It’s the latest development in a dispute between the governor and leaders of several cities over state housing laws, including laws to increase housing density near transit and another to ban certain cities from enacting or enforcing minimum parking requirements. “I hope that communities across the state do more on housing, but there's got to be some state minimum that you can't actively be part of ...
Read More
Denver Is Losing Everything That Gave It Character
No Comments
Westword, Approved, Commentary, Local

Denver Is Losing Everything That Gave It Character

By Westwood Readers | Commentary, Westword After almost thirty years, the Hornet has taken off from the corner of First and Broadway. For decades, the Hornet has amused patrons and passersby alike with the messages on the sign outside the restaurant at 76 Broadway. But the sign that went up last week was not so amusing: "Thanks Denver! Come & Say Bye." The Hornet flew off after last call on August 9; the building it had called home for almost thirty years was sold this spring, and the restaurant itself had been put up for sale. But instead, the owners opted to close, putting this message on social media: "While many things have changed and become more complicated over the years at 1st & Broadway, we would prefer to celebrate all of the amazing times that you shared wi...
Read More
Denver City Council Rejects Ranked Choice Voting in Narrow Vote
No Comments
Local, Approved, Axios Denver

Denver City Council Rejects Ranked Choice Voting in Narrow Vote

By Esteban L. Hernandez | Axios Denver The way Denver elects its mayors, city council members and other local officials is staying put for now. The latest: The Denver City Council voted 7-6 Monday night to reject putting a measure on the November ballot that would changed the city's municipal elections to a ranked choice voting method. The system lets voters rank multiple candidates in order of preference. Why it matters: The move could have reshaped how candidates campaign — and how voters choose — for Denver's top offices. State of play: Supporters said the new system would have increased voter turnout, save money and boost candidate engagement. The other side: Councilmember Kevin Flynn led opposition on the voting method. Flynn pointe...
Read More
As businesses flee downtown Denver, Johnston points to falling homicide rate
No Comments
Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Local, Top Stories

As businesses flee downtown Denver, Johnston points to falling homicide rate

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Mayor Mike Johnston has been pointing to a 44% drop in homicides in the first half of 2025, calling it proof his crime plan is making a difference. The figure is a sharp improvement from last year, but it’s recent and doesn’t show where things stood before the pandemic. In the city’s core, the gains are harder to find. A report from the Common Sense Institute shows murders in District 6, the downtown police district, have risen 133% since 2020. Aggravated assaults, drug crimes, public disorder, and larceny are also up. While some neighborhoods have seen improvement, downtown has not kept up the same pace. Citywide Gains, Downtown Losses Data from DenverCrimes.com shows citywide violent crime down more than 30% from last...
Read More
Gaines: Net migration math doesn’t lie—Denver’s policies aren’t working
No Comments
Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, Local

Gaines: Net migration math doesn’t lie—Denver’s policies aren’t working

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project Small wonder on Denver's Net Migration A recent report by the conservative-leaning Common Sense Institute (see the CPR article linked first below), has it that Denver's net migration -- inflow take away outflow -- has fallen over 50% in the last decade.Keep in mind that the net migration is still positive, more people are coming than leaving, but we have a decrease in the increase. Quoting the article (with link left intact): "The state's population growth has declined by nearly 53% in the past 10 years, according to a new report released by the Common Sense Institute, a non-partisan research organization. The study measured net migration, which is the difference between people moving into the state and peo...
Read More
Released, rearrested and now accused again: Roybal-Smith case ignites parole reform debate
No Comments
Top Stories, Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Released, rearrested and now accused again: Roybal-Smith case ignites parole reform debate

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Denver Police arrested 38-year-old Ricky Lee Roybal-Smith early Monday morning, July 1, following the death of his cellmate at the Downtown Denver Detention Center. The alleged homicide came just hours after Roybal-Smith was jailed on unrelated charges—less than a day after two Aurora stabbings. Roybal-Smith’s criminal history spans nearly two decades and includes convictions for assault, felony menacing, DUI-related vehicular assault, and obtaining controlled substances by fraud. He’s also faced repeated parole violations and multiple arrests involving weapons. Despite this record, he was granted early release in 2023. Denver Police said deputies found an unresponsive man in a shared jail cell around 2:15 a.m. Monday. Off...
Read More
Polis’ $28M Capitol bridge project proposal advances with 8–4 vote from state advisory committee
No Comments
denvergazette.com, Approved, State

Polis’ $28M Capitol bridge project proposal advances with 8–4 vote from state advisory committee

By Marianne Goodland | Denver Gazette One of the major steps in approving a pedestrian walkway linking the state Capitol to Lincoln Park won an 8-4 vote on Thursday from a building advisory committee. The vote by the General Assembly's Capitol Building Advisory Committee followed testimony from neighborhoods groups and local residents opposed to the project, as well as from supporters, including a group advocating for people with disabilities.  One of those four "no" votes came from Sen. Matt Ball, D-Denver, whose Senate district includes the state Capitol. The pedestrian walkway bridge, which Gov. Jared Polis is pushing, could come at a cost of $28.5 million, according to an analysis by 9News. That's as much as 60% higher than the original forecast. Under the plan, the br...
Read More
Who’s controlling the signs? Denver traffic boards hacked with anti-ICE F-bomb
No Comments
Westword, Approved, Local

Who’s controlling the signs? Denver traffic boards hacked with anti-ICE F-bomb

By Bennito L. Kelty | Westword "I know Denver is holding firm, but this was another f-word altogether." Denver drivers noticed a surprising message yesterday on electronic message boards near Broadway and Interstate 25: "Bring the Heat F*** ICE." The Denver Department of Transportation (DOTI) first noticed "the non-project related message" at 6 p.m. on Sunday, June 22, according to DOTI spokesperson Nancy Kuhn. The day the message went up, Denver's weather had started cooling down after a hot spell, setting up the clever jab at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the federal agency responsible for arrests and deportations. The message boards belong to a contractor working with DOTI to install safer ramps between Broadway and Interstate 25, Kuhn says, ...
Read More
‘The last straw’: Residents sound alarm after Father’s Day murder rattles Denver’s Ballpark District
No Comments
Westword, Approved, Local

‘The last straw’: Residents sound alarm after Father’s Day murder rattles Denver’s Ballpark District

By Bennito L. Kelty | Westword Businesses and residents in Denver's Ballpark District around Coors Field worry that crime is worsening in their neighborhood. Business owners and residents in downtown Denver's Ballpark District want police and city officials to make their area safer after a shooting in the area on Father's Day left a 23-year-old man dead and witnesses traumatized. "Crime in this neighborhood is horrible," said Justin Lloyd, the owner of Star Bar at 2137 Larimer Street, during a community meeting on Wednesday, June 18. "In certain areas of town at certain points throughout the day, just put police back on the streets, and whether that's on foot, on a motorcycle, or on a bicycle or on a horse, or whatever, I think it would make a big difference."About thirt...
Read More
$6 billion wish list, $800 million budget: Denver’s bond scramble is heating up
No Comments
Denverite, Local

$6 billion wish list, $800 million budget: Denver’s bond scramble is heating up

By Paolo Zialcita | Denverite Everyone wants a piece of the Vibrant Denver Bond pie. Denver has a rare opportunity to fund $800 million of capital projects in one fell swoop later this year — and everyone is clamoring for a piece of the pie.  If voters approve the measure this November the city will take out debt for a wide range of capital projects. But while $800 million may sound like a lot, it isn’t nearly enough to pay for everything city officials and residents want to build.  More than 220 projects appeared on an initial list the city is considering. Building all those projects would cost $6 billion, far more than what the city can afford. And whittling down the list hasn’t been easy.   The city’s cultural institutions — like the Boettcher Con...
Read More

FD863768-0ACF-495E-9D21-2EF784DFFA6B[1]

Join us at RMV's Freedom Festival

Click Here for Tickets!

This will close in 0 seconds