Denver's $800M bond proposal is in political peril
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Members of a Denver City Council committee meet in April. Photo: RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images
"Tone deaf." "Thoughtless." "Rushed." "Ridiculous."
The big picture: Denver City Council members are blasting a new list of projects that could be funded through a proposed $800 million bond package pushed by Mayor Mike Johnston.
Why it matters: The council's support is required to get the measure on the November ballot. Right now, Johnston doesn't have the seven council votes needed to move it forward.
State of play: Council members say the proposals ignore their districts' priorities despite community input and months of advocacy. Other concerns include a lack of transparency around costs and a rushed process — a frequent critique of Johnston's approach since taking office.
- Red flags emerged over the package failing to reflect the city's broad and diverse needs — especially in historically underserved neighborhoods.
Context: The project list was developed by an executive committee that Johnston handpicked, including former Mayor Federico Peña and current City Council president Amanda Sandoval. But no cost estimates were provided for any of the projects.
What they're saying: Council members unleashed their frustration during a tense meeting on Wednesday.
- "I couldn't believe you released the list of projects without the dollar figures. It's a meaningless list," Council member Paul Kashmann told Johnston administration officials.
- "I am out of patience with this process. I am incredibly frustrated. I am incredibly angry, and I am representing my residents who feel exactly the same way," Council member Amanda Sawyer said.
- "I feel like we're operating in the dark … We don't know what we're looking at," Council member Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez added.
The intrigue: Unlike Denver's 10 other districts, which have multiple proposed projects, District 11 — represented by Council member Stacie Gilmore — was only allocated one: upgrades to the Montbello Recreation Center.
- Those improvements, she said, were never flagged as a top constituent priority.
- "I would not be doing my job … if I referred [the bond] to the ballot today," Gilmore told 9News.
The other side: Johnston's office told Axios Denver the mayor "strongly disagree[s] … the process was rushed." He's now reviewing the recommendations and plans to submit a revised list — with cost estimates — to council toward the end of next week.
- He and his team are also meeting with each council member to better align the bond with their priorities.
What we're watching: Johnston's administration is aiming to pass the bond package by early August — a tight timeline council members say is unrealistic without major changes.
The bottom line: "Somebody needs to fix this," Sawyer said. "And quick."