The Denver City Council on Monday awarded the Caring For Denver Foundation a one-year contract to continue administering grants funded through a dedicated city sales tax stream amid questions about the organization’s transparency and efficacy. The council was originally slated to consider a five-year agreement with the foundation that since 2019 has been tasked with … 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
Living in Colorado, for many, means spending a lot of time worrying about how to make the rent or the mortgage — or whether they’ll ever be able to buy a home. Housing costs have been on a long and sometimes sharp climb throughout the state. In Colorado Springs, home prices have risen 119% since … Read more
One of the top issues on the minds of Colorado voters this election is the cost of living, with about 15% in the ongoing Voter Voices survey by media outlets across the state saying they intend to focus first on the economy as they mark their ballots. Coloradans are concerned about the price of housing, … 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
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s big November wishlist item took a critical step forward Wednesday when a City Council committee advanced his proposed sales tax for affordable housing to the full body for approval. The 0.5% increase in the sales tax — currently 8.81% in Denver — would raise an estimated $100 million per year for … Read more
Just days after Mayor Mike Johnston urged Denver voters to pass an affordable housing sales tax this November, City Council members on Wednesday questioned if the measure was ready for the ballot — and delayed its progress for at least two weeks. Members led by Councilwoman Jamie Torres cited numerous concerns during a committee hearing, … Read more
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston celebrated his administration’s progress on some of the city’s biggest challenges during his first year in office on Monday, while making a pitch for the first big initiative of his second — a sales tax increase to tackle affordable housing. The mayor delivered his State of the City address a year … Read more
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s popularity is holding steady after 11 months in office, according to a new poll released Wednesday, but its findings suggest a sales tax increase he’s pitching for the November ballot could face some skepticism from voters. Johnston remains confident in his tax proposal, unveiled Monday. It would generate an estimated $100 … Read more
Groundwork for possible car-free living along Colorado’s Front Range got done Thursday as Gov. Jared Polis signed four bills into law to boost public transportation. The new laws let state leaders pump tens of millions into transit projects, foremost a multi-billion-dollar rail system linking Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins and, eventually, Colorado Springs and Pueblo. Polis … Read more
