The other side: Opponents, including the Denver Republican Party, say the stakes aren’t worth the splurge.
• “This just-under $1 billion bond is going to cost $2 billion out of all of our money” to repay, Denver GOP executive committee member Jimmy Smrz said at our event, citing long-term estimates from Johnston’s financial director. “That’s a billion dollars to bankers and bondholders that’s not going into our neighborhoods.”
• Smrz also pointed to the city’s current $200 million budget gap, arguing that Denver should start “taking accountability” before borrowing more.
read more from Axios Denver on October 9, 2025