Denver Mayor Mike Johnston on Tuesday vetoed a new law to expand access to needle exchanges, one day after the measure was passed by the City Council. Johnston described the ordinance as “the wrong solution at the wrong time” in a letter to the City Council released by his office Tuesday night. “I support harm … Read more
More needle exchange programs could soon be allowed in Denver after the City Council on Monday approved a new ordinance paving the way for them. Only three needle exchanges have been permitted to operate in the city under a 1997 law, but if the mayor gives his stamp of approval to the new policy, an … Read more
The city of Denver and partners including the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs have now identified every homeless veteran in the Mile High City and secured housing or a private shelter space for them, officials said Thursday. A handful of those people, however, have not accepted the offer to come inside. Speaking at the historic … Read more
Denver Sen. Chris Hansen’s decision to leave the state Capitol for a job in southwestern Colorado while endorsing two Democrats to ascend the political ladder behind him has frustrated party officials and sparked fresh criticism of the process that’s served as a gateway for a third of the state legislature. “The optics are (expletive),” summarized … Read more
The defeat of Denver’s ambitious affordable housing sales tax by voters has generated plenty of reflection in the week since Mayor Mike Johnston and other supporters’ hopes for a narrow passage flickered out. Political activists, observers and even supporters say the proposal suffered from the lack of a clear spending plan that could be explained … Read more
Colorado’s 7th Congressional District, centered on suburban Jefferson County, hasn’t had a Republican in the seat since Bob Beauprez left Congress nearly 20 years ago. But Sergei Matveyuk, an antiques repairman from Golden and the GOP contender for the seat in the Nov. 5 election, urges voters not to count him out in his battle … Read more
Denver voters have another hefty ballot on their hands in the November election: Three double-sided pages await them in envelopes that began arriving over the weekend. Beyond school district matters, statewide amendments and propositions, congressional races and the U.S. presidency, Denver voters have nine citywide ballot questions that would change municipal code or the city … Read more
Denverites can now find out which city benefits, discounts and programs they qualify for through a new web portal, Mayor Mike Johnston said Wednesday. The new service, called MyFriendBen, uses residents’ basic biographical information to scan more than 50 public benefits and tell users which ones they may qualify for in only a few minutes. … Read more
Recent news that big-name chefs like Alex Seidel, Jen Jasinski, and Troy Guard are downsizing or leaving Denver altogether has led to dire predictions about the local restaurant industry. The reality is, despite the crushing weight of the rising costs of labor, goods, insurance, property taxes, and pretty much everything else, a new center is … Read more
The Denver city budget will grow only slightly in 2025, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said Thursday as he unveiled a plan with the slowest projected growth rate in more than a decade, outside the pandemic. But next year’s relatively conservative spending plan — totaling $1.76 billion in the general fund — continues to prioritize Johnston’s … Read more
