Proponents seek voter approval before Denver spends city funds for services to undocumented immigrants

Proponents of a proposed Denver charter amendment told Legislative Council reviewers that the measure would require a voter referendum before the city could use city funds to provide certain services that directly benefit undocumented immigrants.

At a review-and-comment hearing, proponents said the initiative would exclude federal funds, grants and gifts (and later indicated they would add state funds to that exclusion) and would exempt “emergency services related to child welfare, emergency medical services, and law enforcement and detention services.” Anne Wallace, Legislative Policy Analyst for Denver City Council, summarized the proponents’ definition of the target population as “people who are not, lawfully present.”

The measure would, proponents said, require a ballot question before funds that are expended directly for undocumented individuals are spent. “I think the proponents’ intent is that if a pool of funds is used for general services, that would not require voter approval even if a portion of that pool was used for services to undocumented immigrants,” a Legislative Council lawyer said during the hearing. Proponents clarified that direct, targeted benefits — for example a cash or voucher payment made to an identifiable undocumented individual — are…