One year into his administration, Mayor Mike Johnston says he is proud of the work that has been accomplished, but he admits he’s only just getting started. “Our work is not done, but our progress is dramatic,” he told a crowd of several hundred people during his first “State of the City” speech in late July.
Energy was the focus of several bills in the 2024 Colorado legislative session, including one that set new emissions standards and industry regulation practices and another that assessed a fee on oil and gas production. Other legislation sought to bring relief from high property taxes and increased support for education. In all, 525 bills were passed during the very busy session.
On the first day of February and the start of Black History Month, dozens of Black Coloradans went to the state capitol building to describe how racism and discrimination had impacted their lives.
It’s been a challenging first six months in office for Mayor Mike Johnston as he launched an ambitious plan to end homelessness, dealt with 40,000 migrants arriving in Denver, tackled rising crime rates, and struggled to find enough money in the budget to pay for it all.
This month: 1) Take an Immersive Space Walk at Stanley Marketplace; 2) Check to See If You Have Unclaimed Property; 3) Proposed Changes to Sidewalk Repair Ordinance; 4) Ashley Elementary First Graders Get Bicycles; School Doubles in Size; and 5) Mayor’s Plan to Combat Auto Theft.
When Colorado legislators return to the Capitol on Jan. 10 for the 2024 regular session, they’ll probably be thinking, “We’ve been here before.”
Disputes over funding levels between Mayor Mike Johnston and the City Council were resolved in November with a compromise for rental assistance and increased funding for transportation improvements.
This month: 1) Pearl Wine and Market Breaks Ground; 2) Mayor’s Homelessness Plan Update; 3) McAuliffe’s Innovation Status; 4) Second Place for Northfield High School and East High School Boys Soccer; and 5) Drybar Coming to Central Park.
Since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israeli citizens, the violence has escalated dramatically and painfully, memorialized in brutal photos. Each new atrocity and violation of our common humanity seems to eclipse the one before it with no end in sight.
This fall, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston submitted his first budget proposal, which he described as a “moral document” that reflects the issues that are prioritized by his administration and the services that are provided for the residents. Several City Council members quickly lamented what they said were shortcomings in funding for rental assistance and other social programs, while Denver Clerk and Recorder Paul Lopez said the proposed budget lacks critical spending to safeguard election security.
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston has enjoyed the plethora of activities he has been fulfilling during his first three months in office. He has been hiring staff members to fill cabinet positions, hosting town halls to connect with Denver residents, determining the priorities of his first budget, and implementing the details of his homelessness initiative. “I love that we’re moving at break-neck speed on the city’s toughest problems,” says Johnston. “We go from working on community economic development in Northeast Denver, to public safety in Southwest Denver, to the revitalization of downtown, to finding a new home for the Broncos stadium.”
The 2023 Colorado legislative session opened in January with high hopes by Democrats, who had won historic House and Senate majorities in the November 2022 elections. Those hopes were tempered by the late evening of May 8, when the session ended in acrimony and recriminations after lawmakers struggled to resolve the two biggest issues of the session.
