Mayor Mike Johnston on Flock, His Big Bond Proposal, and ‘Denver’s Game Room’

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October 29, 2025 • 35 mins

Ballots are arriving ahead of the November 4 election, and Denverites are weighing Mayor Mike Johnston’s big proposal of the year — the “Vibrant Denver” bond. It would represent almost $1 billion in new debt to fund infrastructure projects across the city, but will voters see a future of possibilities? Or will they swayed by the mayor’s growing chorus of critics? Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi sit down with Mayor Johnston to talk about the recent outrage over his extension of Flock surveillance contracts, his handling of the budget, and why he bought the Denver Pavilions mall on 16th Street. Paul referenced our interview with Fire Department Chief Desmond Fulton, “⁠Why Firefighters Are Getting Raises When the City Is Doing Layoffs⁠.” The mayor said that his proposed budgets for the fire and police departments were “mostly flat, but ⁠according to Axios Denver⁠ the mayor’s proposed police budget for 2026 is up 2% to $281 million and ⁠according to our reporting⁠ his proposed fire budget is up about 1%, or $1.2 million, to $158,081,466. The mayor mentioned a police officer ⁠who was shot ⁠protecting a migrant shelter. Per Paul’s question about the criteria the mayor gave to Flock for any contract extension, the mayor’s office shared ⁠this press release⁠ because the contract itself is still being reviewed by the city’s attorneys. What do you think about the mayor’s defense of his contracts with Flock? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418 For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at ⁠denver.citycast.fm⁠. Follow us on Instagram: ⁠@citycastdenver⁠ Chat with other listeners on reddit: ⁠r/CityCastDenver⁠ Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: ⁠membership.citycast.fm⁠ Learn more about the sponsors of this October 29th episode: ⁠Arvada Center⁠ ⁠Denver Art Museum⁠ ⁠Denver Film⁠ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at⁠ citycast.fm/advertise⁠

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Mayor Mike Johnston on Flock, His Big Bond Proposal, and ‘Denver’s Game Room’