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Denver Voters Will Decide Whether to Authorize General Improvement District to Fund Safety and Cleanliness Initiatives Along South Broadway

Colorado statutes authorize the formation of districts that impact the day-to-day lives of most Coloradoans.  There are various types of districts, including metropolitan districts, stadium districts, business improvement districts, and general improvement districts, each of which operates under a distinct statutory framework with different regulations regarding formation, governance and fund-raising.  Districts provide alternative mechanisms to oversee the development of essential public infrastructure and finance improvements and services that may not otherwise be possible.  Prior discussions regarding metropolitan districts, and recent changes to governing laws, can be found here and here.  This article gives a high-level overview of another type of district, the general improvement district, which some voters in Denver will be asked to approve in this November’s election.

A General Improvement District (“GID”) can be formed for the purposes of acquiring, installing, operating, or maintaining public improvements, or for providing public services that the municipality forming the district is authorized to perform, in accordance with C.R.S. § 31-25-601, et. seq.  Organization of a GID is initiated by the filing of a petition setting forth, among other things, a general description of the improvements or services to be provided, an estimated cost of such improvements and services, and a general description of the boundaries of the proposed GID.  The petition must be signed by at least 30% or 200 of the electors of the proposed district, whichever is less.  The governing body of the municipality in which the petition was filed (e.g. the City Council or the Board of Commissioners) must then hold a public hearing on the petition and, if passed, the governing body will enact an ordinance creating the GID.  The governing body may condition the creation of the GID on voter approval. Members of the governing body serve as ex officio members of the GID’s governing board.  A GID may levy taxes on all taxable property within its boundaries and can also issue bonds to fund its improvements and services.  As opposed to a business improvement district, which is funded only by taxes on businesses within the district’s boundaries, a GID can levy taxes on both commercial and residential properties.

In August, the Denver City Council unanimously voted to approve a petition to create the Broadway Denver General Improvement District (the “Broadway GID”), and enacted Council Bill No. CB25-0917, the ordinance creating the Broadway GID, subject to approval by voters in the upcoming election on November 4, 2025.  A summary of the items considered by Denver City Council, including a link to CB25-0917 and an overview of the GID’s proposed boundaries and services, can be viewed here.  The Broadway GID’s improvements and services will focus on safety and security, with private security accounting for 50% of the proposed budget, as well as cleaning, maintenance, and pedestrian, street, and landscaping improvements accounting for 30% of the budget, and branding and marketing programming representing 5% of the budget.  In order to fund such improvements and services, the Broadway GID will be authorized to impose a property tax mill levy of up to 8.960 mills on commercial and residential properties within its proposed service area, which stretches along Broadway from I-25 to 6th Avenue.  The Broadway GID will be governed by an advisory board of 11 members, including nine members appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by City Council, and two ex officio City representatives. Meetings of the advisory board would also include representatives of the City’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, police department, and the office of Denver Economic Development and Opportunity.  In order to pass, the ballot measure must be approved by a majority of qualified voters. A qualified voter is a person who, as of the election date, either (i) has resided within the area to be included within the Broadway GID for not less than 30 days, or (ii) owns (or whose spouse owns) taxable real or personal property within the area to be included within the Broadway GID.  If the ballot measure passes, the Broadway GID will operate in accordance with the terms of CB25-0917 and can start generating funds starting in 2026.

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