Denver city leaders are no longer attempting to secure raises for 12 of Mayor Mike Johnston’s top appointees amid growing concern for the city’s budget, officials confirmed Monday.
Johnson’s office will pick the efforts back up later this year, spokesperson Jon Ewing said.
“Shifting this discussion to the fall will allow for a more complete conversation as we work through the nuances and specifics of an uncertain economic year for Denver and the country,” he said in an emailed statement.
The appointees, who serve as executive directors or in equivalent positions in various departments, haven’t received any type of raise in three years. Their salaries are set in city ordinance and require a vote of the City Council to amend.
The about-face comes as the reality of the city’s budget situation comes into sharper focus.
In April, the Department of Finance gave a bleak projection for next year’s budget due to stagnating sales tax revenue, which makes up a significant portion of the budget. Economic uncertainty worldwide and ongoing threats from the Trump administration to eliminate federal grants for Denver are both worsening the budget outlook.
The city planned to ask for significant boosts for some of the positions — including a 44% raise for the city’s chief financial officer — with the hopes of retaining and attracting “top talent,” said Carla Anthony with the city’s Office of Human Resources.
The other raises would have ranged from increases of 4% to 32%. The raises would have gone to the city attorney along with the heads of 11 other departments that deal with licensing, planning, public health, the airport, transportation, finance, buildings, human services, parks, public safety and community partnerships.
The total annual cost of the raises would have been about $493,000 and would have mostly come from the mayor’s office budget.
“We will continue working with council to ensure fair and competitive salaries for agency directors as part of the regular budget process,” Ewing said.
A council committee forwarded the proposal to the full City Council on May 7. The body was set to take a final vote on June 2.
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