Denver’s outgoing watchdog is taking one last look at how City Hall spends taxpayer money, including Mayor Mike Johnston’s signature homelessness initiative.
Why it matters: Auditor Timothy O’Brien has repeatedly exposed spending and oversight problems across city government, clashes with Johnston’s administration.
Driving the news: O’Brien, who is term-limited after nearly 12 years in office, unveiled his final annual audit plan Monday.
- Residents submitted 40% more audit suggestions than last year ā a spike O’Brien attributes to growing concerns about how the city is run.
On his 2027 radar:
- š Homeless shelters: A closer look at shelter contractors in light of issues surrounding safety, services and how taxpayer money is spent
- āļø Denver’s airport: Scrutiny of Concourse A expansion costs and whether the airport’s underground train operator is meeting maintenance and performance requirements
- š° Voter-approved taxes: Whether the city is collecting and sending money for Denver Health and Denver Public Library as voters intended
- āļø City Hall’s legal operations: How Denver handles settlements, hires outside legal services and works to prevent lawsuits
Between the lines: O’Brien told Axios that controversy over City Attorney Miko Brown’s former law firm and the city’s legal contracts prompted the legal operations audit…