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Tag: Local Government

Douglas County Secures Land for Massive Zebulon Sports Hub
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Douglas County Secures Land for Massive Zebulon Sports Hub

By: Noah Festenstein | The Denver Gazette Douglas County commissioners on Tuesday unanimously approved a crucial land exchange deal to build a massive sports complex on land previously bought by developers of Colorado’s largest master-planned community. The county partnered with Sterling Ranch to create plans for a 500-acre sports complex in northwest Douglas County called Zebulon. The land transfer impacts 46.5 acres of land planned to be the project’s first phase and will include a sports facility with hockey rinks, gyms, baseball and soccer fields. “The amendment provides Douglas County with an additional 34.2 acres of land in a configuration that is intended to facilitate development of a sports complex,” county staff said Tuesday in a presentation to commissioners. The ...
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Caught on camera: Littleton mayoral hopeful accused of tampering with campaign signs
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denvergazette.com, Approved, Local

Caught on camera: Littleton mayoral hopeful accused of tampering with campaign signs

By Noah Festenstein | The Denver Gazette A Littleton voter group has accused a mayoral candidate of stealing opposing campaign information from the front porch of a home. Littleton Councilmember Patrick Driscoll, who is vying with Mayor Kyle Schlachter for the city’s mayoral seat in the Nov. 4 election, was spotted on a home camera dropping off his own campaign information before taking a small flyer that was already on the door, according to a Littleton Voter news release. Driscoll took the flyer, sparking “widespread condemnation throughout the community,” according to the release. “This is not just unethical — it’s illegal,” Alex Burkey, a Littleton resident, said in a statement. “If a candidate is willing to violate a resident’s property and interfere with their political e...
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La Jara land deal raises questions about public access and state priorities
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Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, State

La Jara land deal raises questions about public access and state priorities

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project Selling La Jara to conservation groups and the Feds, including a swap with CPW? I had a reader send me a heads up on the State Land Board’s (SLB) La Jara land deal. The reader had heard about it in a CPW meeting because CPW could be involved in the land swap. I wanted to push this out quick so you have a chance to sign up and speak (or email) prior to the October 15th State Land Board meeting. As such, I can’t go into huge amounts of depth or summarize. I can give you the information that’s publicly out there so you can look and decide for yourself. As a quick overview, the SLB is charged with management and leasing of the state’s publicly-owned lands with the mission of getting as much revenue from them as the...
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Aurora Voters Face Packed Ballot with Proposal for New Downtown Authority
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Complete Colorado, Approved, Local

Aurora Voters Face Packed Ballot with Proposal for New Downtown Authority

By Sherrie Peif | Complete Colorado AURORA–Voters in the the City of Aurora will decide on multiple charter amendments and city council seats this November, along with a referred measure asking residents to create a new tax-financed Downtown Development Authority (DDA). Aurora, which borders Denver to the east, is Colorado’s third most populous city at a little over 414,000 residents, made up of portions of Arapahoe, Adams and Douglas counties.    The DDA is a government entity whose purpose is to revitalize the downtown-area including businesses, infrastructure, and events. A governing board appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the city council would include one council member and 4-10 residents within the district.   Aurora City Council approv...
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Budget cuts and bots: Denver shortens 311 hours and expands AI usage in city services
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kdvr.com, Approved, Local

Budget cuts and bots: Denver shortens 311 hours and expands AI usage in city services

By: Jacob Factor | Fox31 DENVER (KDVR) — Facing major budget shortfalls, Denver is cutting back hours and staff for its call center that assists residents with city services and looking to leverage an artificial intelligence chatbot to pick up the slack. Denver in Mayor Mike Johnston’s proposed 2026 budget is looking to cut more than $1 million from the 311 City Services budget, most of which comes from cutting vacant call center agents positions in the Technology-Services-Department-run office. One employed call center agent was also among the cuts. The city and county’s X page on Monday announced the new hours for the 311 phone line: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. This is a reduction of two hours each day, as it was previously open until 7 p.m. ...
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Denver School Board Debates to Stream Live Oct. 7 Ahead of Crucial Election
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CBS Colorado, Approved, Local

Denver School Board Debates to Stream Live Oct. 7 Ahead of Crucial Election

By Anna Alejo | CBS Colorado Denver voters will decide the direction of Denver Public Schools as four of seven school board seats are up for grabs in the Nov. 4 election. A series of four school board debates will be livestreamed on the CBS Colorado YouTube channel on Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. CBS Colorado is working with Chalkbeat Colorado, Educate Denver, and Regis University to present the debates before in-person and online audiences. CBS News Colorado anchor Michelle Griego and Chalkbeat Colorado Bureau Chief Melanie Asmar will serve as co-moderators. They will develop the candidate questions and receive additional questions from the public, including from DPS students. The first debate will feature candidates in the At-Large race, to be decided by all of Den...
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Police Union Slams Chicago for Refusing to Help ICE, Calls It ‘Violation of Duty’
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Fox News, Approved, National

Police Union Slams Chicago for Refusing to Help ICE, Calls It ‘Violation of Duty’

By Greg Wehner | Fox News National Fraternal Order of Police condemns reports officers were told not to assist surrounded agents The nation’s largest police union condemned reports that Chicago officers were told not to help ICE agents surrounded by protesters, calling it "shocking" and a violation of law enforcement’s duty to protect fellow officers in danger. Presidents of the National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) and Illinois State FOP expressed shock at reports that Chicago's chief of patrol directed officers not to assist U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents as they were surrounded by protesters on Saturday. "Details are still emerging, but it appears that officers from the Chicago Police Department were ordered not to assist a group of I...
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Ethics board clears DIA execs’ $100K Madrid trip—but blasts ‘appalling’ public spending
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CBS Colorado, Approved, Local

Ethics board clears DIA execs’ $100K Madrid trip—but blasts ‘appalling’ public spending

By Brian Maass | CBS Colorado Denver's Board of Ethics on Friday cleared Denver International Airport and its Chief Executive Officer, Phil Washington, of an ethics violation related to a trip to a conference in Madrid earlier this year. That trip was the subject of a CBS Colorado Investigation, but the board said it was "appalled by both the amount of funds that were expended for this conference and by Mr. Washington's seemingly cavalier attitude in responding to this complaint." Washington and eight of his top executives flew in April to the three-day airport conference in Madrid, with all of the executives flying either first class or business class for every leg of the trip, both to and from Madrid. CBS Colorado found that one of the tickets was over $19,000, and another cost nea...
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TABOR Didn’t Build the Potholes
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Substack, Top Stories

TABOR Didn’t Build the Potholes

By Michael Hancock | Commentary, Undercurrent Substack Bureaucracy and pet projects did — and it’s time to realign our priorities. Colorado’s roads crumble, our classrooms overflow, and every budget cycle we hear the same refrain: “It’s TABOR’s fault.” Critics of the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights insist that this constitutional guardrail has starved government of the resources it needs to educate children, maintain infrastructure, and keep the state running. But what if the potholes and crowded classrooms aren’t a symptom of too little revenue, but of misplaced priorities? The truth is, Colorado’s budget has grown steadily for years. Billions more flow into the state’s coffers than a decade ago. Yet the very areas citizens rely on most—roads, schools, public safety—continue to lag. TA...
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