July 17, 2023 11:50 AM UTC

The Official Changing of the Guard in Denver

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• by: Colorado Pols

For the first time in 12 years, Denver has a new Mayor today.

Mike Johnston took the oath of office today to become the 46th Mayor of the City of Denver, formally ending the 12-year tenure of Michael Hancock. As Joe Rubino reports for The Denver Post:

In his inaugural address, Johnston started by running through the painful scenarios that have played out across the city in recent years whether it was watching older loved ones lose their lives to COVID-19 or watching others fall into a life of addiction and homelessness.

But Johnston emphasized the city can overcome it challenges with him at the helm.

“Our dream of Denver is that when you land at your lowest, without a job or a place to stay shackled by addiction or struggling with mental illness, we will not judge you or abandon you. We will not give up on you. We will get you a home. We will get you help. We will get you healed,” Johnston said.

The new dream of Denver was the theme of Johnston’s address. It’s a refrain that he extended out to include making the city affordable and supportive for working-class people, making it a safe place for children to play in every neighborhood and a city where a downtown struggling with the shifting tides of modern work is reimagined as a center of commerce, culture and art.

“Today, we dedicate ourselves to two essential American ideas: That every problem we face is solvable and we are the ones to solve them,” Johnston said.

In a separate story for The Denver Post, Rubino and Jon Murray take a look at Hancock’s legacy:

When one person holds power for three terms, unfolding over 12 years, his legacy and impact on a city takes many forms, some more outwardly visible than others. The Hancock chapter of Denver’s history weaves together an explosion in the city’s national prominence and population, alongside expanding gentrification, displacement and street homelessness. It features personal blunders, bold initiatives — some of which succeeded wildly, while others fell flat — and the city’s response to a world-reshaping public health crisis well beyond any mayor’s control…

…With the pandemic and several years of upheaval still fresh in residents’ minds, judging Hancock’s success is a fraught question…

…It may take the benefit of time and distance for the full impact of Hancock’s time in office to be digested and weighed after the bitterness of the last four years has faded.

Beginning at 5:00 pm, the public is invited to attend inauguration festivities dubbed the Denver Vibes Festival near Union Station in downtown Denver.