In 2021, Denver’s local government experienced some significant successes and failures regarding city-altering projects from the City Council to the Mayor’s Office to the ballot.

During the 2021 election, Denverites passed a $260 million bond package to fund more than 80 infrastructure projects as part of the city’s COVID-19 recovery plan. This will provide $104.04 million for city facility projects, $38.6 million for housing projects, $63.32 million for transportation projects and $54.07 million for Parks and Recreation projects.

Some of the largest planned projects include a $30 million renovation of the May Bonfils Stanton Theater at Loretto Heights, another $30 million for the construction of homeless shelters and $15.8 million for the maintenance and construction of parks in Districts 1 and 11.

While voters approved the $260 million in bonds, the full $450 million bond package failed when voters shot down a measure to spend $190 million on construction of the National Western Center Arena and to renovate the Historic 1909 Building.

The funding for the arena received consistent criticism since the bond package was announced at the beginning of the year, with many saying the funds would be better spent on housing or public health. Mayor Michael Hancock, who proposed the bond package, said he intends to pursue other funding sources for the arena.

Denver voters also rejected three other potentially city-changing ballot measures that would have required the city to enforce its urban camping ban more aggressively, lowered the cap on Denver’s aggregate sales and use tax rate and repealed the city’s group living ordinance.

Meanwhile, voters approved an ordinance that requires a citywide vote to develop property with a city-owned conservation easement, like the Park Hill Golf Course, and an ordinance taking away the mayor’s power to make appointments to the Office of the Independent Monitor, giving the power to a citizen-led volunteer oversight board instead.

More recently, the Denver City Council passed an ordinance in early December that would have banned the sale of most flavored tobacco products in the city. The ban — which was set to go into effect in 2023 — would have made it illegal to sell flavored menthol cigarettes, chewing tobacco and vaping products in an effort to reduce youth tobacco use.

After the council vote, backlash erupted from the city’s 416 tobacco retailers who feared the ban would put them out of business, as well as from adult tobacco users.

This resulted in Hancock vetoing the ban, marking only the second time Hancock has used his veto authority against the council in his 10 years as mayor. While the veto shut down the ban for now, the flavored tobacco saga will likely continue in 2022. Hancock and a number of council members said they plan to pursue other policies to reduce youth tobacco use.