With a change to when the City of Denver holds its municipal election, City Council tied up loose ends left over from the process. The bill comes as 25 candidates vie to be the next mayor.

The bill, referred to as the “fair elections cleanup bill” by Andy Szekeres, the city’s campaign finance administrator, was approved, but not without criticism from the public.

The Denver municipal election date was moved from May to April after voters approved Question 2H in 2021. The change caused some issues for the Clerk and Recorder’s Office. Overall, Szekeres presented council with 10 problems and solutions the Clerk and Recorder found with Denver’s municipal code.

2 more names added to Denver’s long mayoral candidate list

One of those needed changes concerns the timeline of the Fair Elections Fund, which provides matching funds to candidates in Denver’s municipal elections. These matches are limited to donations of $50 or less for candidates who only take contributions from individuals and small donor committees. 

One of the problems with the code, as it currently stands, concerns disbursement of some matching contributions, according to Szekeres. 

“When we moved the election in 2021 with Question 2H, we didn’t update the calendar to be in alignment with the fair elections fund calendar,” Szekeres explained. “Currently as standing, people would be getting their last payment well after their election day.” 

There were also changes to the debate structure, which previously required two events be held in a 15 day period. Szekeres called this “unmanageable.”

Yet, the changes caused at least one candidate consternation. Jess Parris, a candidate for Denver Mayor, initially supported the changes, but questioned the timing.

“All this work should have been done before the New Year,” he said. “We have 25-26 people running for mayor. We have over 70 people running for office in the city and county of Denver… And now you want to change the date for when people can actually qualify for the fair elections fund from February to January 19.” 

Parris was frustrated with the fair election fund, saying it stomps out grassroots candidates due to the donation matching requirements. He alleged donations to his campaign were not being matched, but did not provide evidence of this during the public hearing.

Parris said the City and County of Denver and the Clerk and Recorder’s Office were “on the verge of a lawsuit,” due to the unfair nature of the fund. 

“When you approved this fair elections fund in 2018, y’all didn’t’ really think this over because we have people that can fund their own campaigns that are having access to this fair elections fund, which they were not supposed to have,” he said.

In other council news, Denver City Council has begun preparing 117th National Western Stock Show, Rodeo and Horse Show to Denver. The event has an estimated $120 million economic impact to the Denver metro area, according to Paul Andrews, the president and CEO of the National Western Stock Show and Complex. 

‘Super Bowl’ of livestock shows: National Western Stock Show prepares for Jan. 7 opening day

Council passed a proclamation welcoming the Stock Show and celebrating the completion of the Colorado State University Spur Campus, part of the reimagined National Western Complex. The Spur Campus’ mission is to continue making progress around food, water and health, according to the campus website.

Partnership between CSU and the National Western Stock Show goes back to the first Stock Show. During that year, the president of CSU excused students from class and paid them to attend. 

“We no longer do that,” CSU Chancellor Tony Frank said. “But we still love the partnership.”

University students attending Colorado institutions stand to benefit from the continued commitment by NWSS, Andrews said.

“We will once again distribute over $500,000 to more than 100 students studying in the field of agriculture and rural medicine,” Andrews said. 

The National Western Stock Show kicks off Thursday, with a parade, starting at Union Station and continuing down 17th Street before ending at Glenarm Place. It will begin at noon, and finish by 2 p.m.