Denver auditor's message to mayor: "Stop interfering" with budget
CBS News Colorado has learned Denver Auditor Tim O'Brien has joined Denver's Clerk and Recorder in rebelling against Mayor Mike Johnston's proposed 2026 budget cuts.
"Mr. Mayor.. Stop interfering with the Auditor's Office and stop preventing me from doing my job," wrote O'Brien in a message sent to Johnston on Thursday and obtained by CBS News Colorado.
"I do not believe your office, nor the Finance Department, has the authority to cut this office's budget," wrote O'Brien.
A spokesperson for Denver Mayor Michael Johnston said Friday:
"The Auditor does critical work for the city, and we look forward to meeting with him to discuss these requests further. Throughout this budget process, the Department of Finance and the Mayor's Office have worked closely with independent agencies to find creative cost-saving solutions. Nearly all the city's agencies including the independent County Courts and District Attorney have worked to find necessary reductions. In lean economic times, we must balance the budget — just like Denver families have to — and we will continue to work with the Auditor to deliver a strong outcome without cuts to core public services that residents deserve."
The letter was a reaction to the mayor's 2026 budget, which was unveiled earlier this week, featuring broad cuts to make up a $200 million budget deficit. The mayor announced a budget with about 6% less spending than in 2025, including spending cuts to city departments, with some departments consolidating. In August, the city announced 169 city workers were being laid off to deal with the budget deficit.
The day after the mayor's budget announcement, Dever City Clerk and Recorder Paul Lopez said underfunding his office and cutting his budget by more than $4 million next year was a "threat to democracy." Lopez said city budget problems were due to the Mayor's "gross mismanagement" of Denver's spending. Lopez said reducing his budget next year could mean reducing the number of ballot drop boxes around the city and cutting voting centers, potentially leading to longer lines at polls and delayed election results.
A spokesperson for Mayor Johnston's Office, Jon Ewing, responded to Lopez, saying every city agency is absorbing budget cuts, and Lopez's office should be no different. Ewing said he believed Lopez would be able to oversee elections without additional funding.
Thursday, the Auditor joined the fray, saying the mayor had reduced his 2026 budget by hundreds of thousands of dollars.
"Forcing budget cuts for this office is short-sighted; it sets a dangerous precedent for Denver mayors and city departments like Finance to directly impair the Auditor's ability to perform their charter-directed functions," wrote O'Brien. "Impeding this office's duties overrides the people of Denver, who voted to give the Auditor's Office Independence."
He directly asked the mayor to reverse course and keep the auditor's 2026 budget the same as it was in 2025. O'Brien said he could make budget savings in 2026 that would equal the cuts imposed by the mayor.
But, warned O'Brien, he said if Johnston continued to insist on cuts, "I will request council override it and restore the budget to what is necessary for the Auditor's Office to perform its duties."
When he unveiled the 2026 budget and its cuts, Johnston indicated that any amendments or alterations from the city council might open the door to more layoffs and furloughs.
