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Councilwoman Sawyer moves clarification of Denver's prevailing-wage rule; committee forwards ordinance to full council
Summary
The Governance and Intergovernmental Relations Committee voted to send a structural clarification of the Denver Revised Municipal Code prevailing-wage language to the full City Council after debate about whether privately owned projects that receive city funds must pay prevailing wage. Advocates and developers warned of 3% or higher cost impacts; Denver Labor and HOST staff said applicability depends on which project costs are paid with city dollars.
Councilwoman Sawyer, who sponsored a structural clarification to the city's prevailing-wage provision in the Denver Revised Municipal Code, told the Governance and Intergovernmental Relations Committee that the proposed change does not alter the law's substance but reorganizes one long sentence to make applicability clearer.
'The prevailing wage applies to work performed on city land, paid for by city funds, and is consistent with the federal Davis-Bacon Act,' Sawyer said, noting updates to enforcement and administration in 2016 and 2023. She said the committee's intent is to resolve a June 2024 dispute about whether privately owned projects that receive city dollars are covered.
Matt Fritzmaurer, executive director of Denver Labor in the auditor's office, told members that prevailing-wage rates vary…
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