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Council's initiative role may end

By Daniel J. Chacon, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published May 27, 2008 at 11:45 p.m.

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Over the years, Denver council members have had to put their fingerprints on a variety of ballot initiatives that left some queasy.

But a proposal endorsed by the general government committee Tuesday will take them out of the future initiative process.

Currently, the City Charter gives the council only two options with a citizen initiative or referendum - approve it as-is or put it on the ballot. But council members are floating a charter amendment, which they want on the August ballot, to put the onus on the clerk and recorder.

The measure would eliminate the council's ministerial duty, and the clerk and recorder would have to place the initiative or referendum on the next available ballot once petitions have been certified.

"There is really no reason to have council involved," said Councilwoman Jeanne Faatz.

Councilwoman Jeanne Robb agreed. "As I debated whether we should do this, there really wasn't much of a debate in my mind in terms of being sure that it was based on sound, good government principles," Robb said.

David Broadwell, an assistant city attorney, said elected officials have been grappling with this issue for some time.

"This shouldn't be seen as being related to the pending initiative that happens to be going to the voters right now," he said, referring to a vehicle-towing initiative aimed at illegal immigrants.

chacond@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5099

The options

The City Charter gives the Denver City Council only two options with a citizen initiative or referendum. The council can approve it, or put it on the ballot. This has sometimes created political angst.

SOME EXAMPLES:

* A 2004 ballot initiative

aimed at banning circuses from exhibiting exotic animals.

* A successful measure

last year to make adult possession of less than an ounce of marijuana Denver's "lowest law enforcement priority."

* An initiative this year

that would impound vehicles of unlicensed drivers.

* An initiative to create

a panel dealing with space aliens may land on council