Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper on Wednesday said a ballot initiative that would require police to impound the vehicles of unlicensed drivers would create an unfunded mandate that would cost the city more than $1 million annually.
He cited a study by the city’s Department of Safety that found that Initiative 100, if voters approve it Aug. 12, would require the city to devote the equivalent manpower of 11 police officers toward enforcement. He said the city also would have to hire 12 additional sheriff’s deputies.
“The hardest part of this job is dealing with the unintended consequences of what were initially well-intentioned initiatives,” the mayor said. “Initiative 100 would divert precious safety resources at a time when we are facing very difficult budgets, costing us a ton of personnel and funding.”
The Safety Department determined it would cost the city $1.1 million annually for the 11 police officers.
Hickenlooper added that the city also would have to spend about $1.2 million to purchase land to expand its impound lot and buy a heavy forklift.
The initiative requires police to impound the cars of people driving without a license. Drivers who don’t have a license can’t get insurance. To get a car back, a driver would have to post a $2,500 bond, which would be forfeited if the car was driven by an unlicensed driver within a year. A $100 fee also would have to be paid, which supporters say would help finance the cost of implementing the measure.
Supporters argue the measure is intended to get people without licenses or insurance off the roads, but critics note that the ordinance behind the initiative specifically mentions illegal immigrants, who can’t lawfully hold Colorado driver’s licenses.
The mayor said police already impound 20,000 cars annually. Laws on the books give police permission to impound cars for a host of reasons, granting them discretion in deciding whether to do so. Officers who decide against impoundment secure the vehicle on the side of the road.
Dan Hayes, one of those pushing the initiative, disputed the costs cited by the mayor. He said the cost to the city would decline as the city reduced the number of unlicensed drivers on the road.
“In the long run, it will save,” he said. He added that getting unlicensed drivers off the road should be a priority for the city anyway, and money to pay for the program could be shifted from other city priorities.
“They can get rid of some of their deadwood, and there is a lot of it in that city building from what I can see,” Hayes said.
Hickenlooper said that if the measure is approved, each time officers stop an unlicensed driver, they would be required to spend at least an hour waiting for a tow truck to arrive.
“We want our officers out on the streets in the neighborhoods, making the neighborhoods safer and not waiting for a tow truck and doing paperwork behind a desk,” he said.
The mayor said he feared the new law also could invite legal challenges and would become a government intrusion on individuals. He said the study by the Safety Department determined an additional 30,000 vehicles would be impounded annually if the measure is approved.
The mayor announced his opposition during a news conference at the St. Francis Center while flanked by religious leaders. The City Council on Monday passed a proclamation opposing the initiative.
Christopher N. Osher: 303-954-1747 or cosher@denverpost.com
