A mayor’s pet project usually can be counted on to cost taxpayers money. How about one that actually saves money? Denver Peak Academy, the handiwork of Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, is being touted by the city to have saved the public an estimated $22.5 million over the past five years. The novel program, which has attracted interest from other cities across the country and beyond, was lauded Thursday by Hancock in a press statement from his office:

“Through innovative thinking, employees are now able to do more with less, and that means Denver residents spend less time and money when they interact with the city,” Hancock said. “Denver’s Peak Academy has become a national model adopted by some of the largest municipalities in the country. I’m proud of how much Denver’s Peak Academy and their trainees have accomplished in the last five years, and look forward to continuing our forward progress.”

Some background on the program:

Facing a recession and budget shortfall in 2011, Mayor Hancock established Denver Peak Academy to help eliminate systemic bottlenecks in city processes and operations that were wasting taxpayer time and money. It worked. For the past five years, Denver Peak Academy has trained city employees to improve the way city government operates and to make city government worker smarter for the residents of Denver.

The solutions the employees come up with after training can be as simple as, “re-organizing a workspace, changing print stations, or updating online information.” Some increased efficiencies that resulted:

The city says some 150 cities have traveled to Denver for training, including San Francisco, Miami, Los Angeles, Providence, Kansas City, Brussels, Belgium; and Canada.