The city of Denver is poised to cut $5 million from its Parks and Rec and DMV budgets as it faces a staggering $180 million bill in 2024 to accommodate migrants.
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston announced the cuts this week — and warned that much worse was to come.
“While these are the first steps, unfortunately they will not be the last,” Johnson said, adding that the cuts are also likely “not to be the most difficult.”
Denver officials warn that the 38,464 migrants they have helped since the end of 2022 is increasing every day. The Mile High City is one of a number of Democratic-run metro areas that have seen this
The city is one of several where migrants are routinely taken after entering the U.S., with weak southern border policies that could see December break the record for encounters with CBP migrants of more than 302,000.
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston announced the cuts this week, warning they won’t be “the last” and probably “not the hardest.”
Denver city officials warn that the 38,464 migrants they have helped since the end of 2022 is increasing every day. Pictured: Venezuelan migrants wait in line to receive paperwork to be admitted to shelters at a migrant processing center on May 9, 2023 in Denver, Colorado
In addition to the $5 million cuts from the two departments’ budgets, Denver officials will also take $10 million from emergency funds and $15 million from citywide maintenance projects.
But since these costs total only $30 million, that leaves a $150 million shortfall directly caused by the migrant crisis.
While Johnston warned that Denverites should expect more, he tried to get the city behind his plan, saying it would be worth it to provide shelter for those who arrive, especially given Colorado’s cold weather.
“This is a plan for shared sacrifice,” he said.
“This is what good people do in difficult situations: you try to find a way to serve all your values. Our values are that we do not want to be a city where women and children stand in tents on the streets in temperatures of twenty degrees.’
Johnston added that he hopes the budget can return to normal in 2025, but he didn’t seem confident when he said “everything is on the table for us.”
Cuts to the Parks and Recreation Department will take effect Feb. 20, shortening the hours of recreation centers across the city.
Residents will also no longer be able to enjoy leisure centers every day of the week, as centers open all seven days will be reduced to six days.
Those who were already open only six days a week will see their opening hours reduced.
Migrants pictured waiting in a park in Denver, Colorado in May 2023, one of the locations that will see a significant reduction in funding this year due to the border crisis
Mayor Johnston warned that Washington’s inability to resolve border issues is keeping many migrants from working in his city
City officials are cutting summer recreation programs by 25 percent, warning that this could increase further in coming months as the budget continues to be revised.
This could mean that those who rely on seasonal work for extra money throughout the year, such as maintenance workers in parks, could see their roles disappear, according to KDVR.
Denver residents hoping for the return of flowers to the city in the spring will be disappointed, as budget cuts mean the city won’t be planting flower beds this year either.
The city is also pausing all new applications until later in the budgeting process for public events, social functions and tournaments, bringing social life to a standstill.
Due to DMV budget cuts, residents will no longer be able to obtain vehicle registration in person after March 4.
Instead, all vehicle registrations must be completed by mail, online or through in-store kiosks.
The impact on the DMV will not end there, however, as four locations will be closed for a week every four weeks on a rotational basis.
For employees within the DMV, employee timesheets will also be reduced, the mayor said.
Venezuelan migrants wait in line to receive paperwork to be admitted to shelters at a migrant processing center on May 9, 2023 in Denver, Colorado
In a press release about the cuts, the city said, “By moving routine renewal transactions online, the city can maintain in-person support for new registrations, title services, license plates and those who need additional assistance.”
Johnston said the cuts will also impact how they serve migrants and the number of migrants they will house.
The press release stated, “If no federal action is taken, more migrants will arrive in need of extended support because they cannot work.
“Denver is a welcoming city, and we have gone above and beyond to serve newcomers with dignity and compassion – that won’t stop.
However, Denver cannot continue to bear this burden alone. We are not closing the door, but we are providing better support to the newcomers who arrive in our city.’
Johnston had previously ordered all city departments to find a way to cut up to 15 percent of their budgets to make up for the migrant shortage.
This came at the same time he was calling for urgent federal aid to make the potential cuts unnecessary, but hopes were dashed after a $118 billion bipartisan border bill failed in Washington amid disagreement among Republicans this week.
The mayor took to Instagram to decry the bill’s failure and say Denverites should rightly remain “heartbroken and outraged.”
Johnston said the bill’s failure means efforts to streamline asylum applications and allow migrants to work in cities will be hampered.
At a press conference on Friday morning, he continued: “We have welcomed more than 40,000 newcomers to this city.
“And if we talk about 50 or 60 of them not having a home, that means that 99.9% of the people who came to this city in sandals and T-shirts, without services, without support and without infrastructure, with success have passed. integrated into the fabric of this country.
“I want it to be clear to the people of Denver who is not responsible for the crisis we are in: the people who walked 2,500 miles to get to this city. Families like the one I spoke to, who ran a grocery store in Venezuela,” Johnston said.
“Where now you’re experiencing 34,000% inflation, so the Coke you bought for a dollar is now $340, but your monthly wage is still at $40? That is unsurvivable.’