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Council gives unanimous support to Denver’s plan to spend $3M on youth job program
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Council gives unanimous support to Denver’s plan to spend $3M on youth job program

By Alexander Edwards | Denver Gazette The Denver City Council on Monday agreed to spend $4 million in an attempt to curb youth violence and support the struggling city center. A $1.5 million contract with Denver Public Schools was doubled, and $1 million will be spent to hire a planning firm to update an area plan for downtown. The city has approved spending almost $5 million this year to keep Denver’s kids occupied during the summer months, and away from crime. The city will now spend $3 million on the Denver Youth Employment Program on top of Mayor Mike Johnston’s own YouthWorks effort which, broadly speaking, has the same goals. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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Reckless e-scooter operators targeted by Denver Councilman, but police have only issued 9 citations since 2018
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Approved, Local, Westword

Reckless e-scooter operators targeted by Denver Councilman, but police have only issued 9 citations since 2018

By Hannah Metzger | Westword Did you know it is illegal to ride a standing electric scooter on the sidewalk in Denver? What about riding with multiple people on one scooter? Riding while intoxicated? These prohibited behaviors can be observed daily in downtown Denver, but there are little to no repercussions for unlawful scooter riders. Denver police have issued only nine citations for improper scooter usage since they hit the city in 2018, compared to over 18.3 million e-scooter trips in the city in that time frame, according to a review of Denver County Court records for citations involving scooter-adjacent violations. (Only nine reports identified the offending vehicle as an e-scooter, but another 52 reports did not specify whether the vehicle was a scooter, bicycle o...
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Passage of proposed slaughterhouse ban could cost Denver 2,000 jobs, study finds
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Approved, Common Sense Institute, Local

Passage of proposed slaughterhouse ban could cost Denver 2,000 jobs, study finds

By Cole Anderson | Common Sense Institute Colorado is home to the largest lamb and sheep processing industry in the country, supplying goods around the country while playing a key role in supporting the state’s agricultural sector and the economy at large.   If the proposed measure were to pass, it would harm not only the metro Denver and Colorado economy but would also negatively impact potential future investments into the state’s agricultural industry.   READ THE FULL REPORT AT COMMON SENSE INSTITUTE
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City council members raise doubts about Denver mayor’s housing plan
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Approved, DENVER7, Local

City council members raise doubts about Denver mayor’s housing plan

By Brandon Richard | Denver 7 News Nearly a week after the Denver City Council delayed a key vote on Mayor Mike Johnston’s affordable housing sales tax proposal, it was back before council members Tuesday. A working group of council members convened to review the proposal in more detail. It also provided them an opportunity to share their concerns about the proposal. Council members sponsoring the mayor’s plan hope the working group will help them address their colleagues' concerns and develop a better plan to present to voters in the fall. READ THE FULL STORY AT DENVER 7 NEWS
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Thousands of Colorado janitors vote to authorize strike: “Denver depends on us, and we need livable wages”
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Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

Thousands of Colorado janitors vote to authorize strike: “Denver depends on us, and we need livable wages”

By Tori Mason | CBS Colorado Colorado's largest janitorial strike since the 1990s could begin next week. SEIU Local 105 janitors across the Denver area voted "yes" Tuesday to authorize a strike. They hope to reach an agreement with cleaning companies by the time their contract expires Sunday. Service Employees International Union Local 105 says it was a unanimous 100% "yes" vote.  The negotiations affect over 2,000 janitors, 90% of whom are Latina women. "We're ready to fight for our families and our communities," said Eva Martinez, a janitor for the last 30 years working at Republic Plaza. "Denver depends on us, and we need livable wages, safe workplaces, and fair workloads." READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
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Plan to redevelop Evans School property approved by Denver City Council
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Plan to redevelop Evans School property approved by Denver City Council

By Noah Festenstein | Denver Gazette The Denver City Council on Monday approved an urban redevelopment taxing plan to give a face lift to one of Denver’s historic landmarks in the Golden Triangle neighborhood. The council voted 10-1 to approve the Evans School Urban Redevelopment Plan, which focuses on redeveloping the interior of Evans School, a 120-year-old building that was built as an elementary school. Since 1974, the building has sat dormant at 11th Avenue and Acoma Street. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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Denver voters will decide whether to allow non-citizens to serve as police, firefighters
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Denver voters will decide whether to allow non-citizens to serve as police, firefighters

By Alexander Edwards | Denver Gazette Non-citizens are one step closer to being able to apply to become a Denver police officer or firefighter after the City Council unanimously approved a ballot measure seeking to change the city charter during Monday’s meeting. The proposed charter change requiring police and fire departments to drop a requirement that applicants be a U.S. citizen must be approved in November by voters, who face an increasingly dense ballot.  Monday’s proposed charter change will allow immigrants of “legal status” to serve as Denver police officers and firefighters, bringing the city in line with employment discrimination laws, according to Councilmember Jamie Torres. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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Crime ‘hot spots’ in Denver may be result of illegal immigration surge, councilmembers say
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Crime ‘hot spots’ in Denver may be result of illegal immigration surge, councilmembers say

By Alexander Edwards  | Denver Gazette A pair of Denver councilmembers on Wednesday implied that the surge in illegal immigration over the past 18 months is linked to an increase in crime in some neighborhoods they represent. Councilmembers Amanda Sawyer and Stacie Gilmore shared anecdotal stories of crimes occurring in “hot spots” in their respective districts during a committee hearing.  Both law enforcement and city officials, including the Johnston administration, use the phrase "hot spot" to denote an area with a spiking crime rate. The city, for example, earlier designated five areas as "hot spots" — places that, by design, will be getting law enforcement's focus in the administration's campaign to curb gun-related crimes. The specific areas are not necessarily the most...
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Half of Denver voters’ top concern is homelessness, one-third say taxes are ‘way too high’
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Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Half of Denver voters’ top concern is homelessness, one-third say taxes are ‘way too high’

By Lisa D'Souza | Fox 31 News A new study from the Colorado Polling Institute shows new insight into how Denver voters feel about the city and its leadership. The numbers come from a bipartisan poll that was conducted in June. According to the results, when it comes to safety and the community, 73% of those polled said they feel “very or somewhat safe” in Denver. This is up from 68% in 2023. READ THE FULL REPORT AT FOX 31 DENVER
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Denver mayor wants a tax increase. Proposes lifting sales tax to 9.31%.
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Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Denver mayor wants a tax increase. Proposes lifting sales tax to 9.31%.

By Samantha Jarpe | Fox 31 News Denver Mayor Mike Johnston unveiled a proposal Monday to raise $100 million a year for affordable housing projects by raising the sales tax in Denver by 0.5%. The proposed 0.5% tax will account for about 5 cents on a $10 purchase, according to a release sent by the mayor’s office. There would be exceptions for many of the everyday essentials people buy including food, fuel, medical supplies and personal hygiene products, meaning the new tax would not apply to those purchases. Because it involves raising taxes, the proposal will need to be approved by the City Council and then by voters in November before being implemented. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 31 NEWS
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