Commentary: My Commitment to Community as Denver Mayor

The weekend before Mike Johnston was elected the next mayor of Denver, he shared this commentary with Westword readers.

Much of this year’s mayoral race has focused on a set of common issues that virtually all of us are thinking about – affordability, homelessness, public safety and equity. But equally important is having a mayor who will show up and listen in every neighborhood in Denver. Denver is a big city, after all, and understanding the specific needs of neighborhoods from Capitol Hill to Ruby Hill to North Park Hill to University Hills is critical if the mayor is going to represent all of us.

If we don’t make sure community members in each unique neighborhood have a direct line to their next mayor, we run the risk of continuing our tale of two Denvers – one where some neighborhoods are close to power and receive abundant resources, and one where other neighborhoods are left behind.

That’s why I’ve always prioritized genuine community engagement, both in my campaign and in my administration, to ensure we are delivering real results for people.

This is something I’ve prioritized throughout my career serving Denver. When I represented Northeast Denver in the State Senate, I was the only legislator to open a community office in my district. We intentionally set up shop in the Holly in North Park Hill — a neighborhood that had a history of gang violence and struggles, and often couldn’t access the people who represented them.
That space not only gave people direct, convenient access to their senator at the Capitol, but it became a valuable community space in its own right. We built a “citizens cabinet” where community members advised me and my team on what they needed from their state government. This allowed us to bring people together who had lived experience, expertise or strong feelings on specific issues to shape our policy before we built it. North Park Hill was (and still is) the largest food desert in the City and County of Denver, so we operated a community food pantry out of the back of our office to ensure that everyone had access to fresh, nutritious food. We played a role in helping rebuild the Holly into a community center filled with resources for the neighborhood, and I’m honored I got to play a role in that.

This type of community-centric leadership has been a guiding value of my campaign for mayor. Leading up to the general election, I visited all of Denver’s 78 neighborhoods, meeting voters where they’re at and coming to them to learn about the struggles they face, the hope they feel, and what kind of leadership they need from their next Mayor. I believe that government works better when everyone has direct, approachable access to their city government.

And I’ve committed to continuing this kind of engagement as Mayor. Just as I have visited all 78 Denver neighborhoods as a candidate, I will be visiting all 78 neighborhoods again in my first 78 days in office, holding community conversations as a foundation for the leadership of our city. I’ve also made a long-term plan to host office hours where I will hold town hall meetings in each of our eleven city council districts once a quarter. This means that Denverites will see me at an open meeting in their neighborhood at least four times each year. In addition to getting access to me, I will make sure that Denverites have easy access to my cabinet as well. Throughout the year, each cabinet member will hold an open meeting in every district to answer questions and gather feedback from the community.

As a leader, I know that I can make the best decisions when I get input from the people closest to the situation. That’s why I’ve committed to spending my time, and seeing Denver’s needs, from the perspective of the people living their lives each day. I know this is the only way to make sure we build a Denver that is vibrant, safe, and affordable, para todos!

Mike Johnston has been a school principal, state senator and CEO of Gary Community Ventures; he'll be sworn in as mayor of Denver on July 17.