Erik Clarke
Posted October 9, 2025
The Denver mayor’s newly released 2026 budget makes one thing clear: Denver faces hard choices.
A projected $200 million deficit is forcing cuts across the city, including a reduction of about 6% in spending. Every Denverite knows that in tough times, families and businesses have to tighten their belts. But in the mayor’s scramble to balance the books, he has made a dangerous misstep that needs to be called out. Attempting to cut the independent agencies that do not answer to the mayor, especially those that keep city hall honest, is a damaging precedent.
Both Clerk and Recorder Paul López and Auditor Timothy O’Brien recently raised alarms about the mayor’s budget proposal. López warned that a reduction could translate into fewer ballot drop boxes, longer lines at polling places, and slower election results. O’Brien accused the mayor of interfering with charter-protected independence and warned that “forcing budget cuts for this office is short-sighted; it sets a dangerous precedent.”
They are right to sound the alarm. These are intentionally independent agencies so no mayor could tilt the playing field or muzzle the watchdog.
The Denver Auditor’s Office is tasked with scrutinizing city contracts, construction projects, technology systems, program performance and city spending. It is empowered to challenge whether taxpayer dollars are being used effectively and appropriately.
The clerk and recorder administers the free and fair elections that give Denver residents their most fundamental right as Americans.
When funding is reduced for either, the consequences are real. An auditor with fewer staff conducts fewer audits or is forced to cut corners, leaving waste or mismanagement unaddressed. A clerk with diminished resources may have to scale back voter access.
The office of Mayor Mike Johnston has argued that “every agency must share in the sacrifice.” That talking point reflects a deep misunderstanding of the checks and balances of government and ignores the fact that oversight is not a passive function that can be slashed or disregarded. Cutting watchdogs to close a budget gap is like balancing a family budget by canceling health insurance. You might save money in the short-term, but you face greater risks in the long-term.
The risk here is not just about a single budget proposal. It is about precedent. If a mayor can force cuts on the auditor or clerk, then every future mayor will feel entitled to do the same. Independence that voters deliberately wrote into the charter becomes meaningless if it can be undone by the budget process. The auditor needs to be able to call out mismanagement, waste, abuse and fraud without fear of reprisal. Once that boundary is blurred, it may never be restored.
None of this is to deny the reality of Denver’s fiscal challenges. Responsible government demands efficiencies and every agency should be expected to operate leanly. But that is not the same as deliberately weakening oversight or overstepping the bounds of independence. The right path is to cut redundancies, streamline processes, identify inefficiencies, and insist on smarter management.
The Denver City Council faces a critical decision. Members will have the opportunity to amend the mayor’s proposal and to weigh the short-term savings against the long-term costs. If the mayor insists on pressing ahead, it is up to City Council to defend the independence voters demanded when they created the Denver Auditor’s Office and the clerk and recorder.
Denver is right to have a conversation about fiscal responsibility, but responsibility is not achieved by silencing accountability. Families do not balance their budgets by turning off smoke alarms. Cities cannot balance theirs by stripping resources from offices that ensure our city is working for the people. We need strong, independent watchdogs. It’s non-negotiable.
Denver can balance its books without undermining accountability. That is the only responsible path forward.
Erik Clarke is a financial and audit executive from Denver with a background in private and public sector oversight. This commentary is republished from Colorado Newsline under a Creative Commons license.
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