The mayors of Colorado’s three largest cities on Thursday urged Gov. Jared Polis and lawmakers to focus on housing, the economy, and public safety. They notably urged state policymakers to ensure that municipalities retain the flexibility to combat crime.
Mayors Mike Johnston of Denver, Mike Coffman of Aurora and Yemi Mobolade of Colorado Springs urged cooperation between the state and cities, implicitly saying legislators should avoid passing policies that would curtail their ability to adopt additional criminal penalties.
“Cities must retain the ability to implement solutions that are responsive to community concerns and assign appropriate sentences when crimes are committed,” the mayors said in a joint opinion piece. “It is only through continued cooperation between state and local governments that we will sustain and build upon the progress already achieved.”…