Governing the city of Denver through the post-recession era is going to involve continued cost-cutting and steady management of ongoing programs.
As candidates line up to run for mayor, we hope they stay focused on the kind of stewardship it will take to lead the city.
Given the economy, candidates likely won’t be able to sell voters on grand visions of major projects or splashy new initiatives as they’ve sometimes done in the past. There may be little money or public appetite for big-ticket items, such as the Colorado Convention Center, Denver International Airport or even Denver’s Road Home, a 10-year plan to end homelessness that Mayor John Hickenlooper was instrumental in creating.
The next mayor will be judged on how he or she is able to balance the city budget while trying to retain the core services residents have come to expect, and how ongoing projects are managed.
Hard choices and tough decisions lie ahead. We look forward to hearing the candidates develop sensible platforms and positions that speak to these priorities.
City Councilman Michael Hancock today is expected to join the long list of those running for mayor of Denver, or considering running. Confirmed candidates include at-large City Council member Doug Linkhart; James Mejía, chief executive of the Denver Preschool Program; and city employee Danny Lopez, who ran against Hickenlooper in 2007. Others who are mulling a bid include state Sen. Chris Romer, son of former Gov. Roy Romer; and at-large Councilwoman Carol Boigon, who reportedly has enlisted the support of former Mayor Wellington Webb’s chief fundraiser.
Others may yet emerge, as Denver seems to have no shortage of people with political ambitions.
Voters need to ask the candidates how they plan to structurally reform the city’s budget and pension system.
This year, Hickenlooper offered a budget plan that relies on furloughs, job cuts and some modest revenue increases to close a $100 million budget gap with as little disruption to city services as possible. However, trends in city revenues and spending call for a more fundamental restructuring of how the city pays for its services.
Recession or not, in the coming years Denver may not be able to offer the same slate of services with its current revenue streams, which are based on a far less reliable sales tax system. Over the past several decades, the economy has shifted from a heavy reliance on the production of goods to a similar reliance on service industries that are taxed far less often, it at all.
Mayoral candidates need to address those structural problems. And they also should talk about how they’ll propel ongoing initiatives, such as the homeless program. While Denver’s Road Home, a non-profit, has made admirable progress in reducing the numbers of chronically homeless, it still needs a champion in the mayor’s office.
The duties of the next mayor may not seem as glamorous as before, but it’s what the city needs for the foreseeable future. We hope voters take these opportunities to ask candidates practical questions about stewardship and push aside grand plans.
