A year-long effort that identified more than $540 million in infrastructure improvements does not include nearly $90 million worth of work on the City Council’s wish list.
And council members believe many projects from that list will be needed to entice voters to approve a tax increase in November.
Councilman Charlie Brown noted that for all the planning and discussion of new funding mechanisms, voters will have the same questions they always have:
“What’s in it for me and what’s in it for my wallet?” Brown said.
Councilman Rick Garcia echoed that sentiment.
“That’s what voters expect,” he said of developing a list of projects that benefit voters’ neighborhoods.
The discussion in a special committee meeting Friday came in anticipation of a bond issue on the November ballot.
More than 100 citizens and business leaders have been meeting as the Infrastructure Priorities Task Force for more than a year, assessing Denver’s needs and wants. No final decisions have been made, but the task force has identified more than $543 million worth of projects for transportation, cultural facilities, parks and public safety, to name a few.
And council members brought up pet projects for their districts Friday.
The task force is looking for new ways to fund maintenance and projects in the city, but voters will likely be asked for a bond issue of about $250 million next fall.
That means tough choices are ahead as the city prioritizes projects. And in their first group discussion, City Council members were quick to point out areas of need in their own districts as they broke down the projects line by line.
District 2 Councilwoman Jeanne Faatz, for instance, noted that a $2 million road project was the only item that directly benefited her constituents.
She and others also took issue with a $16 million line item to build housing for the homeless.
“The homeless plan was presented to us as money from outside … not tax increases,” Faatz said.
And council president Michael Hancock said he was concerned that Denver was taking on too much of the homeless housing burden where agencies such as the Denver Housing Authority are not “stepping up to the plate.”
But Councilman Doug Linkhart said it has not been out of the ordinary for the city to fund similar programs, noting that the point of the homeless initiative is to save health care and prison costs later on.
Staff writer George Merritt can be reached at 303-954-1657 or gmerritt@denverpost.com.
