With a large field of candidates jockeying to be mayor of Denver, voters will need thoughtful answers about issues facing the city in order to make their choices.
Trying to cut budgets while meeting popular demand for services will make it difficult to please key constituencies.
In his 1983 mayoral campaign, Federico Peña challenged us to “Imagine a Great City.” What candidates need to tell us in these daunting economic times is how they intend to “Manage a Great City.”
Here are some of the issues that the candidates need to think about.
The budget:
The weak economy has slowed the growth of sales tax revenue, the city’s largest revenue source, forcing budget cuts and adjustments.
What solutions do you propose to ensure the overall sustainability of basic city services? Would part of your solution be new or higher taxes and fees?
What opportunities do you see for reductions in spending? What opportunities could help grow sales tax revenues in the city?
City services:
The city has experienced the largest decline in revenue since the 1930s. Basic city services such as public safety, parks and recreation, public works and environmental health, as well as employee compensation, have been strained by the tight revenue situation.
How would you prioritize specific city services in a time when cuts and tradeoffs have to be made? Do you feel any city services, such as garbage collection for private homes, should be changed to a fee system?
Property rights:
City government has broad powers over zoning and other land use tools. Policies and decisions in those areas often conflict with private property rights. What is your philosophy about reconciling city and neighborhood desires with private property rights? Do you see any areas where the city can improve its policies on this issue?
Zoning:
The Hickenlooper administration took a bold gamble by implementing a new, form-based zoning system, which now covers the majority of the city.
Are you prepared to closely monitor its successes and failures, make adjustments quickly and perhaps overhaul substantial parts of the new code if it’s not working?
Historic designation:
Denver is one of the few cities in Colorado where a person’s property (home) can be designated as historic without the consent of the property owner. This has severe implications as to what the owner can do with his property.
What is your opinion of this Landmark Preservation Ordinance, and would you advocate any changes to it, such as significantly increasing the requirements and fees for non-owner, hostile designation requests or require the owner’s consent?
Growth and development:
Denver’s population has grown in recent years, thanks to developments such as Lowry and Stapleton. But the recession has stalled other projects, such as redevelopment of the former University of Colorado medical center and the old Gates factory.
As mayor, what economic development proposals would you support to promote sustainable growth and job development in Denver? Do you feel the city’s approval process for new projects should be changed to make Denver more competitive, and should the city change tax or cash incentives to attract new jobs? What are your priorities to ensure that Denver is a supportive environment for creating and maintaining small businesses?
The role of neighborhood organizations in citywide matters:
City government has broad powers over zoning and other land-use tools. Policies and decisions in those areas can conflict with or support private projects/investments that create needed tax revenues.
What is your philosophy about balancing neighborhood desires with citywide interests?
Do you see any areas where the city can improve its policies on this issue? How much influence should individual registered neighborhood organizations or neighborhood activists have on projects that generate city tax revenues and that meet city standards?
Business Improvement Districts (BIDs):
BIDs — such as the ones in downtown Denver, Cherry Creek North and Colfax — assess property owners additional taxes to pay for additional services that the city can’t afford to provide. Without these taxes and services, these areas would not be as competitive in the marketplace.
Given this, how should the city encourage and support BIDs as economic generators at a time of declining city budgets?
Infrastructure:
The city has been making improvements to its infrastructure, including parks and streets, paid for with bond money approved by voters before the recession.
What future improvements does the city require, and do you foresee the need for any major bond issues during your first term in office?
Parks policy:
Several citizen groups have opposed the city’s new policy of allowing paid, private events in city parks.
Do you support the new policy or would you change it? Do you believe a citizen-approved charter change is needed before that policy can legally go into effect?
Collective bargaining:
Driven by the budget crisis, the city negotiated changes in the current collective bargaining agreements covering 3,106 police, fire and sheriff’s officers. The costs related to the uniform positions represent 34 percent of the city’s budget.
What approach will you take to the 2012 collective bargaining negotiations for public safety officers, and to what degree do you think the city will need to be conservative because of budgetary constraints?
The homeless:
Mayor Hickenlooper made homelessness a major initiative of his administration and spent millions launching Denver’s Road Home initiative.
Do you believe that program has worked well? As mayor, would you continue it, modify it or end it?
Mayoral powers:
The city charter creates a strong-mayor form of government, the powers of which have been used by the last three mayors.
Describe the approach you would take to governing, including relations with the City Council.
Medical marijuana:
Both the city and the state have passed major legislation to regulate this business.
Do you believe appropriate laws and taxes are in place for cannabis commerce or that additional legislation is needed?
Denver International Airport:
DIA is the fifth-busiest airport in the nation.
What should the city do to ensure that DIA remains competitive as the largest economic generator in the state?
Denver Public Schools:
DPS has an elected board and operates independently of the city, but the quality of the school system has a major impact on Denver’s economic health and livability.
Do you support the current policy of reform, choice and experimentation being pursued by the DPS administration, and how would you relate to and interact with DPS as mayor?
Mayor’s residence:
Mayor Hickenlooper proposed to sell Cableland, the mayor’s official residence, and give the proceeds to a charity.
Do you believe the city can make good use of Cableland for official functions and charity events, and would you consider using it as a residence?
Whom would you retain?
The mayor’s budget supports a 12-person Cabinet and 38 additional at-will appointees. Of the mayor’s Cabinet (salaries are noted), whom would you keep?
• David Fine, city attorney ($141,284)
• Peter Park, Community Planning ($133,562)
• Kim Day, manager of Aviation ($240,996)
• Nancy Severson, Environmental Health ($120,900)
• Penny May, Excise and License ($97,734)
• Claude Pumilla, Finance ($147,706)
• Derek Brown, General Services ($106,838)
• Lucia Guzman, Human Rights & Community Relations ($87,446)
• Patricia Wilson-Pheanious, Human Services ($136,474)
• Mary Malatesta, acting manager of Safety ($152,000)
• Kevin Patterson, Parks and Recreation ($130,546)
• Bill Vidal, Public Works ($172,614)
Charlie Brown is a city councilman representing south Denver. He will be seeking his third and final term this year.
