Denver’s auditor lashes out at Mayor Mike Johnston over proposed budget cuts: ‘Stop interfering’

Denver’s elected auditor has lambasted Mayor Mike Johnston for slashing his budget, writing in a new letter that he doesn’t believe Johnston has the authority to do so.

“Mr. Mayor, your office and the Finance Department must stop interfering with the Auditor’s Office and stop preventing me from doing my job,” Auditor Timothy O’Brien wrote in the Thursday evening letter, according to a copy obtained by The Denver Post.

The Denver Auditor’s Office, which is established in the city charter, is charged with serving as a check on the mayor’s office and other city officials. O’Brien’s performance audits have been critical of Johnston at times, including harsh reviews of the way he runs his homelessness initiative.

Under the mayor’s 2026 budget proposal released Monday, O’Brien’s office would lose almost $500,000, with its $15.7 million proposed budget representing about a 3% decrease from this year.

That decision comes as the mayor’s office is making broad cuts across city government because of an anticipated $200 million shortfall in next year’s budget. Last month, Johnston and city officials laid off 169 employees and eliminated hundreds of vacant positions.

“In lean economic times, we must balance the budget — just like Denver families have to — and we will continue to work with the auditor to deliver a strong outcome without cuts to core public services,” said Jon Ewing, a spokesman for the mayor’s office.

But O’Brien’s letter highlights disagreement over the mayor’s authority under the charter. While one provision implies the mayor must adopt a budget proposal from the auditor, another part of the charter cited by Johnston’s office gives the mayor and the City Council wide latitude over the budgeting process.

O’Brien argued that he “must have the discretion to decide what is best for my office,” adding: “Considering we have multiple auditors who are also certified public accountants, we are well positioned to manage our finances responsibly.”

O’Brien’s letter was sent two days after Denver Clerk and Recorder Paul López, who’s also separately elected, made similar protests about his own office’s budget cuts. Under Johnston’s proposal, the clerk’s office budget would decrease by about 1.5% compared to this year — but it would lose about $4.5 million, or nearly 24%, compared to the 2024 budget, the last year there was a major election.

In 2026, the midterm elections in Colorado will impact the makeup of the congressional delegation and the future of the state, with the governor’s office and state legislative races among those on the ballot.

“The mayor’s proposal will decimate voter services in (2026),” López said Tuesday, according to a recording of his news conference. “This will jeopardize turnout, it will disenfranchise voters.”

He said the city would have to reduce the number of drop boxes and polling centers as a result of the cuts.

“It is an absolute overreach,” López said.

Most other independent offices and agencies will also see cuts, including a 19% cut to the budget of the Office of Human Resources and a 4% reduction to the Board of Ethics. The City Council’s budget, one of a few exceptions, is set to increase by 5.5%.