Name: Mayor calls Vibrant Denver bond package wiser fiscal choice
Uploaded: 2025-10-25T03:36:08.510Z
Duration: 3 min 18 s
Description: Denver7 sat down with Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and Citizens for No New Debt to discuss the Vibrant Denver bond package, particularly Denver Ballot Issue 2E.

Denver7 sat down with Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and Citizens for No New Debt to discuss the Vibrant Denver bond package, particularly Denver Ballot Issue 2E.

Denver

Denver is proposing a $950 million bond package, known as the Vibrant Denver Bond Measure, to fund various city projects without raising taxes. Of this amount, $59 million is designated for homelessness response, including shelter upgrades, affordable housing land acquisition, and housing construction atop a new library. The measure has drawn opposition from groups concerned about increasing city debt, who argue that relying on bonds is not a sustainable solution.

Mayor Mike Johnston supports the bond package, describing it as a fiscally responsible way to fund necessary capital projects without increasing taxes. He emphasized the distinction between bond-funded capital improvements and the city's operating budget, which pays for programs and staff. Another bond issue, 2B, would allocate $175 million for city parks and recreation improvements. Opponents maintain that the city should avoid further borrowing and instead focus on breaking the cycle of debt.

Mayor calls Vibrant Denver bond package 'wiser fiscal choice'

We're also looking ahead to Election Day, and voters in Denver have plenty to decide on. Denver 7 has been following a push by the city to borrow $950 million in bonds to pay for a variety of projects across the city. And of that, about $59 million will go toward the city's homelessness response. That's Measure 2E. Tonight, Denver 7's Daniel Kreuter explains how that money would be spent if approved by voters, and why those opposed say this is not the right way to get things done in Denver. 2E of the Vibrant Denver Bond Measure outlines three shelter and housing projects, adding ADA upgrades to some city shelters, acquiring land for affordable housing, and constructing housing on top of a new library. It costs $59 million in bonds without raising taxes. We need to cut the banks from the public budget. The very idea that debt's going to give us more makes no sense. Debt, we will always end up with less. The group Citizens for No Debt strongly opposes the entire measure. Bonds pay for nothing. They're only a document. They're a tool. You and me, the taxpayers, we pay for everything. If you were to sit down with the mayor this afternoon, what questions would you have for him? I'd ask the mayor, how much have we given to the banks? We need to get off that debt. And when we do, we're going to have a lot more for the city. We took his concerns... Hello, hello. How's it going? Straight to Denver Mayor Mike Johnston. We would always rather spend with general fund than with debt, if we have to. But there are times where, for financing purposes, it is easier or smarter to use debt to invest. Any viewers who kind of like are catching the headlines and seeing one headline saying, City of Denver is cutting homelessness funding, and then another headline saying, City of Denver asking voters for more funding for homelessness. How can both of those things be happening at the same time? Yeah, really good question. And this is true about the budget in general. People will say, wait, why are you going for the bond if there are cuts to the budget? And it is exactly because these are two different purposes of two different funds. Our budget pays employees, it pays for people, it pays for programs. The bond only does capital infrastructure. The mayor says if the bonds don't pass, it will affect the projects outlined in the measure, as well as others on the city's to-do list. I think this is still a wiser fiscal choice for the city to not increase taxes, get these projects done, drive economic growth, and make sure neighborhoods are safe and taken care of. While opponents say now is the time to stop the cycle of debt and borrowing. Break that habit, and we'll all have more for the city when we do that. I'm Danielle Kreuter, Denver 7. Danielle is dedicated to covering stories concerning homelessness in Colorado. If you have a story you want her to look into, scan the QR code on your screen or email her, danielle.kreuter at denver7.com. One of the other bond issues up to voters is 2B. That one would go towards improvements to city parks and rec. Denver would sell nearly $175 million in bonds to make that happen. It would include a new southeast rec center and money for the Park Hill Park that Denver bought recently. 2B really includes a lot of parks throughout the city, parks, facilities, recreation centers, pools, indoor-outdoor pools, everything from restrooms, so it includes a lot. Similar to other bond issues, opponents of the measure argue it's money the city simply doesn't have.

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