Lessons from the MLK Marade: Progress, Purpose, and Responsibility

On January 19th, I attended Denver’s annual Marade in honor and celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I was inspired by the many speeches on both the progress that has been made over the years but also noting the work which still has to be done to make Denver a better place for all people. 

One way to advance equity in Denver is through audits. I have led several audits over the years focusing on this. For example, my work on the sidewalk repair program revealed that the affordability discounts offered for sidewalk repairs through the program were not offered to residents who needed to repair their sidewalk due to a complaint. Also, when auditing homeless encampment response, my team found that information related to clean-ups and services was only provided in written English. And the one storage facility in the city  for people experiencing homelessness to pick up their belongings was also not convenient for most people to get to.  

Both of these audits received national recognition for the work we did surrounding equity in Denver. 

My commitment as Denver Auditor would be to continue assessing equity when planning each audit to identify risks. I want to ensure that all people in Denver have access to programs and services, and that information is provided in a way that all people can understand regardless of language and ability.