Denver voters will face many key ballot initiatives this November, a number of them brought forth by Denver City Council.
Opening city positions to noncitizen legal residents
Council Bill 24-0849, a measure to remove the citizenship requirement for Denver police officers and firefighters, would open these highly understaffed positions up to noncitizens residing legally in the U.S. Currently, these positions are restricted to U.S. citizens, a limitation that supporters argue is doing a disservice to a city with a significant immigrant population. On July 15, the City Council voted to send the measure to November ballots.
Key supporters of the bill include Council President Amanda Sandoval and Councilwoman Jamie Torres. Torres has made the argument that barring noncitizens from these public service roles not only harms the community, but also violates employment discrimination laws, citing a Denver Sheriff Department $10,000 settlement agreement in 2016.
People who would become eligible for employment as firefighters or police officers, should 24-0849 pass, are legal permanent residents in the United States. They are not undocumented, and there is a significant distinction between the two under Colorado law. However, there has been misinformation surrounding the bill, something that Torres is eager to clear up before Denverites cast their votes on Nov. 5.
“This bill put before the voters in November is a question of whether to change the charter to allow the police and fire department to consider applications from immigrants with legal status,” Torres said. “These are legal, permanent residents. Some are DACA recipients. These are members of our community who have graduated from our high schools, maybe even our colleges, who are making lives for themselves here in Denver, and who may want to consider this as their future job, but haven’t been able to because our charter restricts it.”
This move aligns with broader trends seen across the country: California recently passed an almost identical law, which led to the first DACA recipient to become a police officer in the state. Washington, North Dakota and Maryland all allow noncitizens to work in these roles as well.
Both the Denver Police and Denver Fire departments have come out in support of the measure. Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas noted that a priority of his is making sure the police force represents the diversity of the city. Denver Fire Chief Desmond Fulton expressed the same desire for the future of the fire department.
The Denver Immigrant and Refugee Commission has also backed the bill, with hopes of positive outcomes such as more diverse and inclusive workforces.
Others to endorse the measure include the Denver Latino Commission and the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC).
“The current citizenship requirement perpetuates discrimination against noncitizen residents, depriving them of the chance to pursue their chosen career paths based solely on their immigration status,” CIRC wrote in a statement of support.
Despite the endorsements, Council Bill 24-0849 has not escaped social media discourse unscathed, with commentary coming from self-described DACA recipients noting barriers to citizenship and the right to vote. Some online opposition has been rooted in misinformation, including the false belief that the policy would apply to undocumented immigrants.
Other opponents claim that if passed, noncitizens serving as police officers and firefighters would pose a security risk. However, supporters say the measure simply removes an arbitrary barrier that prevents qualified people from serving their community.
Collective bargaining for city employees
If passed by voters in November, a city employee collective-bargaining measure, Council Bill 24-0716, would extend collective bargaining rights to 7,000 additional municipal workers, such as librarians, social workers and more. Police officers, teachers and firefighters already have this right, allowing them to negotiate new labor contracts with union representation, according to Parker Yamasaki at the Colorado Sun. The initiative is backed by Teamsters Locals 17 and 455.
Sales tax to support Denver Health
Council Bill 24-0717 proposes a 0.34% sales-tax increase to support Denver Health, which is considered Denver’s social safety net hospital. The tax is intended to shore up the hospital’s finances and ensure continued access to essential health services for Denver residents.
How salaries are set for the city’s elected officials
Council Bill 24-0360 is a charter amendment that would change the way salaries for City Council members are determined. Instead of council members giving themselves raises each year, the measure would create annual salary increases based on inflation.
A city office for human rights
Council Bill 24-0715 would establish a dedicated Department of Human Rights, which would focus on reducing discrimination and promoting inclusivity across Denver.
Sales tax to increase city’s affordable-housing coffers
Mayor Mike Johnston has proposed a 0.50% sales tax to generate additional funds for Denver’s affordable-housing budget. This measure faced scrutiny and multiple attempts at amendments before an amended version passed by a final city council vote of 9 to 4 on Aug. 19. Council members Alvidrez, Flynn, Gilmore and Sawyer voted against bringing the measure to this fall’s ballot.
Denver voters will determine the fates of these ballot initiatives in November. These measures will be joined by other statewide proposals created through citizen initiative and referred by the state Legislature. The upcoming ballot is expected to be lengthy in an election that is not just about individual candidates and bills, but also about how they all fit together to shape Denver, Colorado and the United States.
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