About the Vibrant Denver Bond

General obligation (GO) bonds are issued by state or local governments to fund public capital improvement projects such as roads, bridges, bikeways, public facilities and parks. Local GO Bond programs are authorized by Denver voters every 4-10 years and repaid through property taxes. Denver’s current bond programs are nearly complete, creating capacity for new projects under the Vibrant Denver bond program without raising taxes.

Vibrant Denver Bond Overview

Eligible Projects

GO bonds can be used to fund construction of public infrastructure and facilities. They cannot be used for operational costs, like staffing and services. For a project to be eligible for bond funding, it must:

• Be ready to construct quickly,
• Be part of a city-owned asset, such a city park, recreation center, street, or library,
• Serve a public purpose, and
• Have an expected useful life of at least 10 years

View Denver's recent bond programs to see examples:

Denver's Capital Improvement Plan (CIP)

Every six years, the city documents the infrastructure needed to meet the needs of communities and a growing city through a Six-Year Capital Improvement Plan (“CIP”) (required by City Charter). The 2025-2030 CIP identifies approximately 250 projects, which includes upkeep of existing infrastructure as well as new projects previously identified by residents in adopted citywide and neighborhood plans. The 2025-2030 CIP is a foundational reference document the city and the public can use to help develop a final bond project list for voters’ approval. By prioritizing the investments needed to move Denver forward, we can protect city assets, plan for future needs, and identify appropriate funding sources to deliver world-class projects for residents. 

View the 2025-2030 CIP

Project Development and Evaluation

The Vibrant Denver bond program empowers communities to take an active role in shaping and preparing Denver for the future. Denverites can share general thoughts on the state of infrastructure in their neighborhoods and submit specific project ideas. Starting in April, community-led subcommittees will review this public input, as well as city recommendations based on the 2025-2030 CIP, to help create project lists. The project lists recommended by subcommittees will go to an executive committee for final review before the bond program package is put in front of voters in November.

Subcommittees include:

• Community ambassadors and leaders
• City Council members
• City subject-matter experts

The Executive Committee is expected to include:

• A community leader from each subcommittee
• Mayor's office designees
• the City's Chief Financial Officer
• City Council President

Committee meetings will be open to the public to attend. Learn more about the subcommittees.

Impact on Property Tax Rates

This General Obligation (GO) bond measure will not increase residents’ property tax rates. It will use an existing property tax that is dedicated to pay back bonds and can only be used for this purpose. Taxpayers already pay this property tax. The city uses bonds to help meet its capital requirements. As older bonds are paid down, Denver voters can elect to have the city replace those with new bonds without increasing property taxes.

Bonds are typically paid back over a long time horizon, which keeps the annual costs low for taxpayers. If voters choose not to approve new bonds, existing taxes could go toward paying down current bonds faster.

Watch the Results

In 2017 and in 2021, Denver voters approved the Elevate and RISE bond programs, directing funding to critical infrastructure improvements and driving economic recovery by creating thousands of jobs, investing in local businesses, and bringing improved infrastructure to historically underserved areas of the city. To date, Elevate and RISE have initiated over 500 projects, turning votes into reality.

Watch the video below to learn more.