DENVER — Denver's top elections official says his agency is running out of space to store equipment and records.
To solve the problem, Denver Clerk and Recorder Paul López proposed building a new warehouse, funded by the Vibrant Denver bond package. That idea, however, was rejected by the executive committee without any explanation, according to López.
It took Denver7 getting involved to finally get some answers on Tuesday.
López said the lack of space has been a problem for his agency for a while.
“This is something that we've been sounding the alarm for a long time,” he told Denver7.
López said much of the equipment needed to run elections is stored in the basement of the elections division building, with two faulty elevators providing the only access.
“One of them is inoperative right now,” he said.
López told Denver7 he had to move some of the records he’s legally required to keep to less secure city buildings.
“Those records are in areas that I’m not comfortable with,” he said.
The clerk wants the city to build a 100,000 square foot warehouse that would provide enough secure space for equipment and records. According to López, it could cost up to $47 million.
López was hoping the Vibrant Denver bond package would pay for it.
“The mayor's office had told me that this is something that is that they agree with, that we should be rest assured that it would be included in this process,” said López.
But when the Vibrant Denver executive committee released a list of potential projects last week, the warehouse was nowhere to be found.
"I'm very surprised to see it omitted without any kind of explanation to this day,” said López.
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Denver7 took the clerk’s concerns to Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s office and asked if the mayor planned to include the project in his formal request to the city council. The mayor's office sent Denver7 a statement from Laura Swartz, the communications director for the Denver Department of Finance.
“The executive committee had the unenviable task of making difficult choices between many worthy projects. The price tag of $50 million and other needs across the city resulted in the committee recommending other projects ahead of a new city warehouse,” said Swartz. ”In addition, the city has just redesigned the first floor of the Webb Municipal Building to meet some of the Clerk’s space needs, is currently making improvements to the Elections Building that were approved in the city’s 2025 budget, and continues to provide storage facilities for election equipment in existing city facilities.”
Denver7 read the message to López and asked for his response.
“One, they should communicate [that] with me. And that’s the answer that we were trying to understand why it was removed,” López said. “And two, they are absolutely incorrect. It's obvious that there's the lack of understanding of what my office does and what we are charged with."
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Mowa Haile, a member of the Vibrant Denver executive committee, spoke with Denver7 last week and described the difficult challenges committee members faced.
“We knew we were up against the very tough task of taking all of this information and projects that were provided to us and trying to make it fit what the city can afford in terms of a bond,” said Haile. “At the end of the day, we went into it with, you know, what are the priorities, things that need to be fixed?”
López isn't giving up on his proposal. He's now asking the Denver City Council to add the project to the Vibrant Denver bond package.
“That's why I've communicated with the council to bring this matter to their attention, because at the end of the day, it will be the council that determines what goes on the bond and what does not,” López said.
Swartz said the Johnston administration is working with the city council this week to refine the project list and expects to have it ready by the end of the week.
