The Council sits as the board for six improvement districts Monday. RiNo's plans $2.7 million in capital work
General improvement districts tax property owners inside their lines, and the Council itself adopts their budgets after public hearings. RiNo's spending would more than double; Broadway's adds safety money and its first debt payment.
After a recess at its Monday, Nov. 16, meeting, the Denver City Council will sit as the board of directors for six general improvement districts and hold required public hearings on their 2027 work plans and budgets (meeting).
Why it matters: unlike business improvement districts, which have their own boards, general improvement districts (GIDs) are governed by the Council itself. They can levy property taxes, impose charges and take on debt inside their boundaries. Monday's votes set those for next year.
We wrote about these districts and the 12 business improvement districts when they went to committee in October (our story). The city's presentation has the numbers below.
The six districts, 2027
RiNo Denver GID (District 9, created 2015): 4.000 mills, unchanged. Revenue of $1,793,801. Spending jumps to $4,164,581, up 138%, mostly because of $2,719,200 in capital improvements. The district planned $440,000 in capital work this year but cut it to zero in its amended 2026 budget. Operations and maintenance drop to $1.0 million. It expects $1.17 million in general obligation debt at the end of 2027. The resolution also approves capital charges and amends the 2025 and 2026 budgets (26-1601). The district's advisory board scheduled its own hearing on the capital charges for the same day, Nov. 16, according to the resolution.
Broadway Denver GID (District 7, created 2025): 8.960 mills. Spending rises 21.7% to $1,220,612, including $531,250 for safety, up 50% from the amended 2026 budget, and its first debt service payment, $100,000. Marketing is cut by more than half, to $22,500 (26-1588).
Ballpark Denver GID (District 9, created 2024): 5.000 mills, unchanged. Spending of $1.5 million, down 8%, mostly operations and maintenance (26-1586).
Denver 14th Street GID (District 10, created 2009): no mill levy; it collects a $307,268 capital charge and a $242,744 maintenance charge. Spending of $610,723, about half of it debt service. It expects $1.85 million in debt at the end of 2027 (26-1594).
Gateway Village GID (Far Northeast, created 1994): the only mill levy increase, 5%, to 10.500 mills. Spending rises 31% to $556,750 as maintenance spending goes back up after a cut this year (26-1598).
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Sun Valley Denver GID (District 3, created 2022): 6.000 mills, unchanged. Spending of $102,000, down 36% after a one-time $97,000 debt payment in 2026 (26-1603).
How a GID differs from a BID
The Council approves or rejects a business improvement district's budget by ordinance, and its final votes on 12 BIDs and the Tourism Improvement District happen the same night (26-1589 and others). For a GID, the Council adopts the work plan and budget directly as the district's board, and a public hearing comes first, according to the city's request for Sun Valley.
What our records add
RiNo's districts came up this fall. When Alterra's move out of RiNo was before a committee, Darrell Watson said the neighborhood's improvement districts weren't notified (our story). The RiNo GID's creation ordinance was amended this year, according to the resolution.
These moved without debate so far. All six resolutions went through the Finance and Business Committee on Oct. 27 and the Mayor-Council meeting Nov. 3.
How to weigh in
The hearings are part of the regular meeting, which starts at 3:30 p.m. Monday at 1437 Bannock St. Speakers can sign up through the City Council's website.