6 SEPTEMBER 5-11, 2024 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | would otherwise go without,” Councilwoman Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez said while pre- senting the initiative on June 5. But opponents fear a precedent of relying on sales tax increases will hurt residents in the long run. “I have a serious concern about burdening Denver taxpayers,” Councilmem- ber Kevin Flynn responded. Binding Arbitration for Firefi ghters Councilmembers voted to add this initia- tive to the November ballot on July 29. The proposal would provide binding arbitra- tion for firefighter collective bargaining negotiations instead of the current advisory fact-fi nding process. Right now, if fi refi ghters and the City of Denver reach an impasse during negotiations on their collective bargaining agreement, they rely on an advisory fact-fi nder to help settle the matter. The fact-fi nder is a third- party individual responsible for analyzing unresolved disputes and providing a non- binding recommendation for how to resolve them. Under the initiative, fi refi ghters would instead use binding arbitration; a neutral arbitrator would make a binding decision for confl ict resolution rather than a mere recommendation. If passed by voters, this change would align the Denver fi refi ghters’ collective bar- gaining process with the city’s police and sheriff departments. “It is important that we get binding ar- bitration, just because the other two public safety entities have it. We’re trying to be fair and equitable,” Chris Ferguson, president of the Denver Firefi ghters Union, said during a council committee meeting on July 9. “Hope- fully, we don’t have to go to arbitration and we can settle before that, but I just think it’s important that we get it right now, consider- ing the times that we’re in.” Elected Offi cial Salary Approval Councilmembers voted in April to re- fer an initiative to the ballot that would take away the council’s power to approve their own salary increases. Instead of ask- ing councilmembers to authorize raises for elected offi cials, the ballot measure would automatically increase salaries using the same formula that currently calculates raises every four years based on the consumer price index and other raises citywide. If passed, the ballot measure would not impact raises or change how the salaries of elected offi cials are calculated, as that is mandated by the city charter. It would just remove the charter requirement that the council must vote to approve those salary changes. Proponents of the measure say even though councilmembers can’t control what the raises are, it is a confl ict of interest for them to approve their own salaries. “This sets up what feels to our residents like a lack of transparency around this pro- cess. It looks like we’re voting on our own raises when we are not,” said Councilmem- ber Amanda Sawyer, who sponsored the proposal, during a committee meeting on March 19. Councilmembers unanimously voted to send the issue to the ballot. Human Rights Cabinet Agency Another council-referred initiative would make the Department for Human Rights and Community Partnerships into a cabinet agency. This would make the executive direc- tor of the department a member of the mayor’s cabinet, allowing that position to help create general administrative policies for the city. The department was created in 1947 by then-Mayor J. Quigg Newton to assess race relations in Denver, according to Council- member Jamie Torres. “That was coming off of a mayoral administration where the mayor was a KKK member,” Torres said while presenting the proposal on June 4. “This marked, for the city of Denver, a turn for really focusing and centering human rights and civil rights.” As a cabinet agency, the department would be given funding stability and symbol- ize Denver’s “dedication to human rights and the well-being of its diverse communities,” Torres added. The agency’s responsibilities would include addressing human-rights is- sues involving underserved and historically marginalized populations, training city em- ployees on issues facing those populations, and helping community groups access city services and communicate with the city. Collective Bargaining for City Employees On July 15, council voted to add an ini- tiative to the November ballot that aims to give all city employees the right to unionize beginning in 2026, expanding collective bar- gaining rights for city employees beyond fi re- fi ghters, police offi cers and sheriff deputies. Proponents say the current ban on col- lective bargaining for most city employees leaves them without recourse when they face unsafe working conditions or unfair pay. “If Denver employees can’t afford to live here, who will care for the city’s infrastruc- ture?” asked Molly Schumaker, a Denver Public Library custodian, during a council meeting on July 8. Schumaker said she makes minimum wage, though newer employees earn more than her. “Collective bargaining is a voice for workers and increases equality for traditionally marginalized groups,” she added. In addition to the city council, the pro- posal has earned the support of Mayor John- ston. But a couple of people spoke against it during the July 8 council meeting, including sixteen-year city employee Troy Bettinger, who feared unions would burden city work- ers with more administrative overhead and create a toxic work environment. “Protect Denver city employees from ineffi ciency, politics and divisiveness,” he said. Citizenship for Police and Firefi ghters Another initiative approved by the council on Monday, July 15, would remove a require- ment that people applying to be Denver police offi cers or fi refi ghters be United States citi- zens. Proponents say the change would open the jobs up to legal permanent residents and DACA recipients, but undocumented immi- grants would still be ineligible to apply because applicants must have valid work authorization. This effort comes as law enforcement recruitment has dipped in Denver and na- tionwide. “We want to provide a path to employment for all who deserve it,” Councilwoman Amanda Sandoval said while presenting the proposal on June 25. “We want to reduce employment discrimination, enhance diversity, inclusion and community-oriented policing, and assist with recruitment and retention issues.” The local firefighters’ union and the Denver Police Department are backing the measure. The Denver Sheriff’s Department already does not require citizenship for its applicants; Aurora and Boulder have dropped the requirement, as well. Colorado legislators passed a statewide law in 2023 allowing DACA recipients to carry fi rearms as law enforcement offi cers. AND THE REST... Denver Public Schools Bond The Denver Public Schools Board of Education approved a proposal on August 15 that will ask Denver voters for a $975 mil- lion bond to pay for maintenance and other projects — the most money the district has ever sought from voters. The proposal comes from the district’s Community Planning and Advisory Committee. The bond plan would pay for $301 million in maintenance at 154 buildings; $240 mil- lion to install air conditioning at 29 schools; $124 million for new facilities, including building a new school in far northeast Den- ver; $127 million to upgrade performing arts hubs, innovation centers and athletic facilities; $100 million to improve learning environments at 136 schools; and $83 million for safety and technology. A recent survey of 500 likely Denver vot- ers found that 67 percent would vote in favor of the bond, according to a poll by Denver Families for Public Schools and Keating Research released on July 10. “Denver voters continue to be champions of resourcing our public schools, seeing the need for critical school improvements,” said Clarence Burton Jr., CEO of Denver Families. Ballpark Improvement District Unlike the other ballot measures on this list, this initiative will only appear for voters who live or own property in the Ballpark neighborhood. The measure, approved by Denver City Council on July 8, asks residents for permission to create a Ballpark General Improvement District (GID) for the neigh- borhood around Coors Field. If passed by voters, the new GID would collect a special property tax from busi- nesses and homeowners in the district to fund community improvements, specifi - cally focusing on addressing public safety and homelessness. Numerous community members have spoken in support of the GID, including Candice Pineda, owner of Mexico City Lounge on Larimer Street. “We want to keep our community safe, clean and fun,” she said. “This GID is vital for our community to fi ll in the gaps where the city cannot.” Opponents have raised concerns about the tax increase worsening fi nancial hard- ships for neighborhood residents. The ini- tiative allows the GID to impose an annual property tax of up to $5 for every $1,000 of assessed value for each commercial and resi- dential property in the district’s boundaries. While Denver’s initiatives for the Novem- ber 5 ballot are set, statewide measures and even candidates can still be pulled from the ballot until September 6. Watch for an update on Colorado proposals on September 11. Email the author at hannah.metzger@ westword.com. News continued from page 4 If the slaughterhouse ban passes, these people at Superior Farms could lose their jobs. SUPERIOR FARMS Denver Health would benefi t from a new sales tax. DENVER HEALTH
