May 30, 2019

The Honorable Angie Malpiede, RTD Director

The Honorable Debbie Ortega, Councilwoman At-Large
Therese Carpio
Debbie & Louis Gomez
The Honorable Paul Lopez, Councilman
The Honorable Ramona Martinez
Jess Ogas
Anthony Ortega, Professor Regis University
Armando Payan
Dr. Martha Urioste
Gayle LeRoux, GlobevilleFirst
Juana Bordas
Jude DelHierro
Joe Contreras, President/CEO Latin Life Denver
Maria Elena Rivera
Jessica Dominguez, Interfaith Alliance & Co-President of WeCan
Jennifer Malpiede

Dear Fellow Denverites,

Thank you for your thoughtful letter. As I noted yesterday in my message to CounciIwoman Deborah
Ortega, I welcome the opportunity to engage in a respectful dialogue with you as leaders in Denver’s
vibrant Latino Community. My Administration will return to a celebrated level of inclusiveness in
Denver’s City Hall. I aim to replicate the tradition of Mayor Federico Peña who demonstrated that
all interests could be heard and that everyone would have a seat at the table.

This will be especially transformative for Denver’s Latino Community, which as you’ve noted represents
nearly one-third of Denver’s population.

My commitment to work with City Council members representing districts with high concentrations of
Latino citizens is unwavering. No longer will Council have to fight the Mayor’s office to get basic needs
met in Latino districts. I will be accessible, responsive and responsible to you as Denver’s next Mayor.

It is regrettable that after 8 years of the current administration serious issues remain. I commit to you
that as Denver’s Mayor I will address these issues. During my campaign I’ve witnessed firsthand that
Latinos in neighborhoods across the City do not feel they are being heard. As Mayor I will hear Latino
voices and engage the Latino Community and all communities in policy making.

My responses to your request that I speak to the issues pertinent to the Latino Community are below;

CAMPAIGN HQ: 1321 S. Broadway • Denver, CO • 80210 • 303.744.1009

1. What do you believe to be the top issues impacting the Latino Community and what is
your plan to address them?
The top issues impacting the Latino community are well defined in your letter, Sections 3, A through K,
and include but are not limited to displacement, lack of investment in neighborhoods in favor of mega-
projects, lack of support for small business, limited access to healthcare, unacceptable Latino dropout
rates in DPS, a disproportionate number of Latino youth in the criminal justice system and income
inequality.
I will end runaway development in established neighborhoods, explore new property tax rebates for
low and fixed income communities, direct the Office of Economic Development to actively support
Latino-owned small businesses, and work with you to improve access to healthcare. Appointments
to the Denver Health Authority Board must be made with both Latinos and non-Latinos who are
committed to focusing resources on thwarting health disparities in the Latino Community. I will
support other non-profit organizations like Clinica Tepeyac to ensure that immigrant residents as well
are provided quality healthcare.
Together we will work towards a variety of changes including increased cultural competency training
for service providers, measures to reduce language barriers, and bilingual staff to educate and connect
people to appropriate healthcare services.

2. The Latino community represents 31.2% of Denver’s population. If elected will your cabinet
reflect this demographic? We expect monthly reports to city council from Human Resources
on how the city’s workforce reflects the diversity of Denver’s population, particularly from the
Latino community.
My administration will represent Denver’s diverse communities not only in policy, but in personnel.
Denver’s Latino community will be strongly represented in the city’s workforce and in my cabinet
and sub cabinet. I believe Latinos must be appointed to all Boards and Commissions, not in a token
manner, but to more fairly reflect Denver’s Latino population. I will seek-out all qualified Latinos, even
if they opposed my election. I know that many from the Latino Community support my opponent, but
that will not be a hindrance as I make appointments. It is important to unify our broader community
especially following a divisive election.
I vow to make extensive changes to Human Resources, especially in Civil Services. Human Resources
will be directed to update City Council monthly on how the City’s workforce reflects Denver’s
population.

3. Denver equity maps show Latino communities suffer negative impacts in the following areas:
A. Health care disparities exist and have not been addressed. Latinos are at high risk of chronic liver
and kidney diseases, diabetes, high cholesterol, asthma, obesity, heart disease, depression and
other mental health issues;
B. Disproportionately high concentration of marijua na & alcohol establishments;
C. Failure to reduce access to and impact from marijuana, tobacco & alcohol among Latino youth;
D. Food deserts/lack of healthy food
E. Lack of access to community resources such as affordable health care, training & livable wage
jobs, affordable housing, recreation, and quality education;
F. Too many Latino children fail to graduate from high school;
G. Poor transportation and connectivity options - including inadequate access to multi-modal
options;
H. Lack of basic infrastructure (curbs, gutter, sidewalks, bus stops);
I. Insufficient assistance from Economic Development Office, DEN, Denver Small Business
Opportunities, and Environmental Health to have access to resources and business opportunities;
 J. Lack of engagement with Latino communities regarding community benefits agreements from
projects impacting their neighborhoods; and
K. Latinos (youth and adults) are over-represented in the criminal justice system.

4. How will your administration work with the Latino community on these issues?
In order to address these issues as Mayor I will ensure that my administration will do the following;
• Improve access to healthcare as noted above, working with The Denver Health Authority Board.
Specifically, it is important to ensure that residents are connected to existing, available and stable
healthcare coverage before an illness or other health event takes place. Facilities like sidewalks and
playgrounds that are often underfunded in Latino communities will be a priority as they provide a
critical component for physical activity and health.
• I will require Denver Health to issue an annual report on the state of health care provided to Latinos
and other underserved communities. I will meet with the Denver Health Board (its CEO is part of
the Mayor’s Cabinet) and the Community Health Services Board to ensure that Latino healthcare
needs are being met. As Mayor I will work with our Congressional and State representatives to
ensure that federal and state laws further enhance the health of Denver’s Latino Community.
• I will work with Council members to focus on ending food deserts by seeking public-private
partnerships in underserved neighborhoods.
• As Mayor I will support the formation of and participation in Registered Neighborhood
Organizations so that marijuana and liquor license applications are directly vetted by community
members. This is our best opportunity to control the number and location of both marijuana and
liquor establishments and to restrict access for youth. My appointments to Excise and License will
support this priority.
• As Mayor I will support community benefit agreements for new development in established
communities. If a new development requires a variance or rezoning, the community will be able to
require that the developer provide a community benefit in exchange for supporting the variance
or rezoning. For example, this type of community benefit could be in the form of a grocery store
tenant. My appointments to planning, zoning and adjustment boards will reflect this initiative.
• Lack of access to recreation, healthcare and other quality of life disparities are the result of social,
economic, and infrastructure barriers that have not been addressed by the current administration.
Recreation centers in Latino neighborhoods, for example, often have limited hours on weekends
compared to those in more affluent neighborhoods. When I am Mayor these centers will be open
throughout the week. In my Administration Latino children will have a place to go to be with their
friends and engage in sports.
• Improving access to healthcare requires multiple strategies like building bridges to other non-profit
providers for comprehensive services and coverage. Intra-city transit is critical and I will work with
RTD (especially the Denver Representatives) to fight for services for inner-city Denver. Access to
frequent, reliable, inexpensive transit is a lifeline to jobs and services. My Administration will focus
on creating a strong intra-city transit network in Denver to provide equitable transportation options
for all and will support Denver’s newly proposed Department of Transportation and Infrastructure.
• Although as Mayor I will not oversee Denver Public Schools, I will push for initiatives like increasing
pay for teachers to attract and retain the best, and providing affordable housing for teachers to live
where they work. I will re-invigorate the City-School Coordinating Commission and will personally
attend these meetings to assure that the City and DPS leverage resources to address the broad
range of health, welfare and infrastructure issues affecting Latino and other minority students,
parents and their communities.
• I will seek your input on making the The Mayor’s Youth Commission and the Office of Childrens’
Affairs even more responsive to the needs of Latino youth in Denver.
5. Will you commit to seeking genuine community input in a timely manner on matters relevant
to and impacting the Latino community and neighborhoods?
Representing community is the central theme of my campaign and will be the central focus of my
administration. Communities throughout Denver, and especially the Latino Community have had access
to City government severely curtailed in favor of the well connected and the powerful. Denver’s civic
leaders have a moral responsibility to do what’s best for our diverse community. Our communities often
have a better sense of what they need than does City Hall. Appointing a diverse cabinet, including
strong representation from the Latino Community, decentralizing our planning office by integrating
planners into neighborhoods to have regular, local interaction and working closely with City Council are
just the beginning. As Mayor I will ensure Community input is regularly influencing my administration’s
policy initiatives and budget decisions.

6. What steps will your administration take to inform Denver’s communities of color on your
commitment to Race and Social Justice, including the implementation of racial equity tools and
the expectation that all City departments will be accountable for incorporation racial equity
within their policies, programs, projects and initiatives.
My commitment to Race and Social Justice starts with acknowledging the historical and institutional
repression perpetuated against Denver’s communities of color. It is the Mayor’s responsibility
to diligently address these inequities and amplify the voices of Latino and other marginalized
communities. Encouraging community engagement through formal and informal means, listening to
elders and youth in Latino communities, celebrating Latino culture and heritage, and ensuring that City
contracts fully utilize Latino-owned businesses are important priorities. My administration will foster a
culture of transparency and accountability in decision-making as it relates to the Latino community.

I welcome the opportunity to earn your trust, establish an open and ongoing dialogue and invite you
to join me in building a better Denver together. With your input and guidance I will work to elevate
the voice of Denver’s Latino Community, and all communities in policy making and resource allocation.
There will be no broken promises in my administration.

Respectfully,

Jamie Giellis
Candidate for Mayor
City and County of Denver