What is the history of Denver's Mayor Council Government?
In addition to the at-large members, the City is divided into 11 districts of approximately 42,500 people each. If you live in Denver, then one of the district members represents you as well. The lines separating the Council districts were drawn so that "natural" neighborhood groupings would not be split between two or more districts. The lines separating districts are often irregular, which makes it hard to say who is the Council member for a certain home.
To find out what Council district you live in, enter your address in
DenverMaps. You may also call the City Council main office at (720) 865-9534 to find out who is your City Council representative.
When and where does the Council meet?
Except when there is an emergency that requires the Council to meet in a different location, the Council meets in the Council Chambers, Room 450 of the City and County Building, 1437 Bannock Street.
The regular meetings of the full Council normally begin at 5:30 p.m. on Monday evenings. Typically, if Monday is a holiday, then the meetings are on Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. Once every few years, the meetings during Christmas week and New Year’s week are on Wednesdays.
The Council committees usually meet during the week. Normally, committee meetings are on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday mornings. Occasionally they will be in the afternoon or at night or on other days of the week. The schedule can be obtained by clicking on the "Events" button on the top button bar.
You can watch the Council meetings on Channel 8 if you have Denver cable. They are shown live during the actual meeting and are re-broadcast several times during the week. This service is not available outside the corporate limits of the City. You can also view them online via our video on demand service.
What are the qualifications for members of City Council? Must I have a college degree to run for Council?
The City Charter has no requirements for formal education or experience. The requirements in the Charter are stated in B3.1.3 of the Charter as follows:
"Each councilman shall be a citizen of the United States; a resident of the City and County of Denver for the two (2) years immediately preceding his election; a qualified elector of the City and County of Denver; over twenty-five (25) years of age and if elected from a council district, the second year of residency shall have been within the district."
In addition, the Charter imposes certain restrictions as follows:
B3.1.4 Qualifications and Restrictions. No member shall hold any other public elective office or any other employment with the City and County of Denver. No member shall have any direct interest in any contract with the City; nor shall any member have any interest arising by contract or other relationship which creates a substantial conflict of interest with respect to that member's Council duties which cannot be avoided by abstention or by disqualification from participation in a transaction or series of transactions without adversely affecting the interests of the city...
B3.1.5 No person who has been convicted of willful evasion of City or State taxes; or who has been convicted of malfeasance in office, bribery or other corrupt practices, shall be qualified for membership in the council.
How does a person run for Council?
The procedures for running for City offices are stated in Chapter C of the Charter, which you can view on our website via the Denver Revised Municipal Code.
You should read the entire Charter election section and should talk to the staff of the Elections Division about how to run. There are many complex rules governing the conduct of campaigns, and this portion of the Council’s web page cannot address them all. But the short version is that the formal process for running for office starts with the nomination of the candidate. The Charter describes the nomination process as follows:
"C1.5 Nomination--How made. The name of a candidate for district councilman shall be placed upon the ballot when a verified petition of not less than one hundred (100) signatures of registered electors, who reside in the district in which the candidate resides, shall have been filed in his behalf at least forty-five (45) days before the day of election in the manner and form and under the conditions established by the election commission, unless otherwise provided by ordinance in pursuance of this charter. The name of a candidate for mayor or auditor or councilman-at-large or election commissioner shall be placed upon the ballot when a verified petition of not less than three hundred (300) signatures of registered electors shall have been filed in his behalf at least forty-five (45) days before the day of election in the manner and form and under the conditions established by the election commission, unless otherwise provided by ordinance in pursuance of this charter."
What is the salary for members of City Council?
Commencing July 16, 2007, the salary is $78,173 for 12 members and $87,539 for the Council President.
Council members are elected to represent their district or the city on a full time basis.
Do Councilmembers have offices?
Yes, they each have one office, and the office is either supplied by the City or the City pays the rent for the office. The two at large members and one of the district members have offices in the City and County Building. The other members have offices in their Council districts.
How much is the budget the members of Council get to run their offices?
In 2010, each Councilmember received $220,000 to operate his or her office, which provides for the Councilmember's salary, taxes, and benefits, as well as the salary, taxes, and benefits of their staff, and supplies for operating their office. Staffing costs for these offices are approximately 85% of that budget, and 15% is remaining for operations of the office. Those who rent offices outside of the City and County Building receive additional funds to cover the cost of renting a district offfice.
When I watch the meetings on Channel 8, I notice the Council does not vote on every bill on the agenda. Why is that?
Before the Council recess, the members tell the President which bills they want to call out for a vote. Only those bills are voted on individually. The other bills are passed in block vote.
How is the Council President elected? Do the voters of the City elect the President?
The President is elected by the members, not the voters. During the Council meeting on the third Monday of July, the Council elects new officers - a President and a Pro Tem. The President serves one year. In addition to presiding over the meetings, the President appoints committees and designates their functions.
How can I obtain census data for my Council District?
Data from the 2000 Census is compiled in the charts and graphs below:
Denver Population Change 1870-2000 Graph
New Precincts with Population Figures
Council District Demographic Table
2000 Population by Race - Pie Chart
2000 White Population by Precinct and Council District
2000 Black Population by Precinct and Council District
2000 Hispanic/Latino Population by Precinct and Council District
2000 Asian Population by Precinct and Council District
2000 American Indian Population by Precinct and Council District
Statistical Neighborhoods Compared to Registered Neighborhoods
How can I obtain a Council District map?
The following maps represent districts as drawn in 2002. These districts will remain in effect for the 2011 City Council elections.
How can I learn more about the legislative process and how laws are made?
This
overview explains how city laws are made in Denver.
What are the Rules of Procedure?
The
Rules of Procedure govern the legislative process of the City Council, serving as a guide to fair and orderly procedure in meetings. The rules can be amended, repealed, altered, or rescinded by the majority vote of Council.
What is the role of the Denver City Council?
City Council makes laws, budgets City money, and can investigate City agencies and employees. Since 1971, the Council has had 13 members -- 11 from equally populated districts and two elected at large. Council members, who must be at least 25 years old, U.S. citizens, and two-year Denver residents, are all elected at the same time every four years. Council committees, each concerned with various areas of city government, meet frequently to discuss and prepare proposed laws.
Settled in 1858, Denver became a town in Kansas Territory in 1860 -- named after the governor who never saw the place. It became part of the Colorado Territory in 1861 with a board of aldermen stronger than the mayor. The State of Colorado made Denver its capital in 1877. Denver became a City and County in 1902 and adopted a new Charter with a mayor-council government in 1904. The Charter is "the Constitution" of Denver. A commission form of government, instituted in 1913, lasted only three years. The Speer Amendment, named after a Denver mayor, created the present non-partisan city government with a strong mayor and a city council.
More than 598,000 people now live in the City and County of Denver in an area of 154.97 square miles.
How do I sign up to speak at a public hearing?
City Council meetings begin at 5:30 p.m. If you would like to speak at a scheduled public hearing, you must sign up during the recess of Council. If you do not sign up during the recess of Council, you will not be given the opportunity to speak. The time that Council recesses varies from week to week, so it is recommended that you be here by 5:30 p.m to be given the opportunity to sign up to speak.